yankees fan sues for $10m after being hit by jose ramirez's bat
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a yankees fan is suing for $10m after being hit by a bat that was thrown into the stands.
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when you’re in the stands at a baseball game, be prepared for projectiles.
one new york yankees fan, however, wasn’t prepared when a bat was launched into the stands during the june 2 game against the cleveland guardians at yankee stadium.
stephanie duluc, 37, is now suing the yankees for us$10 million, alleging she suffered a traumatic brain injury from being hit by the bat, the new york post reports.
how did it happen?
duluc, who is the chief of staff at somos community care in the bronx, was sitting in the fourth row behind home plate when the bat of guardians infielder jose ramirez was launched behind him into her section during the fifth inning, the lawsuit says.
the woman’s employer owns season tickets in the section, which is considered one of the priciest and most dangerous, with netting set up to protect fans from foul balls and projectile bats.
the lawsuit states: “it is the one location where the law has long required a stadium operator to provide adequate protective screening.”
mid-swing, ramirez lost his bat, sending it at high speed behind him. the protective netting didn’t stop it from reaching fans, said the lawsuit, which was filed in a federal court in manhattan.
the lawsuit claims the netting was significantly lower in adjacent sections, which left an opening for the bat to fly through.
duluc says the force of the bat “knocked her from her seat and violently threw her to the ground, causing her to sustain severe and permanent injuries,” per the post.
the woman suffered “significant residual deficits from her traumatic brain injury, including persistent headaches, sensitivity to light, balance issues, and other cognitive impairments,” according to her lawyer, jon l. norinsberg.
josé ramírez #11 of the cleveland guardians hits a single during the fifth inning against the arizona diamondbacks at progressive field on august 02, 2026 in cleveland, ohio.
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woman seen standing after being hit
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the violent moment from the game aired live on television, with play-by-play announcers gasping as the bat flew through the netting and hit the fan.
“bat goes one way, ball goes another,” yankees play-by-play announcer michael kay said during the yes network broadcast in a video clip from the game.
“there’s a woman who got hit, she’s on her feet now,” kay said as cameras showed duluc holding her head.
norinsberg said that a brief tv appearance “does not mean she has recovered or is capable of performing her professional duties on a sustained basis.”
the post reported that duluc’s lawsuit will have a tough battle against the century-old “baseball rule,” which usually exempts teams and owners from liability over foul ball, bat, or similar injuries.
the doctrine has helped toss many injury lawsuits against the yankees, including injuries from foul balls and flying bats.
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