Little league coach sues former player for $500,000
Parents of 14-year-old 'appalled' by lawsuit in California
A former California Little League baseball coach has filed a civil summons against a 14-year-old player and his parents for allegedly injuring him during a post-game celebration last year.
Former Lakeside Little League coach Alan Beck told Fox40.com the incident occurred last spring, when the teen threw his helmet up in victory after scoring a winning run, allegedly striking and tearing Beck's Achilles tendon.
“I could not register right at that second, so I turned around and looked and there was a helmet laying on the ground and this young man that hit me was looking at me, stunned,” Beck said.
The lawsuit seeks $500,000 for pain and suffering and more than $100,000 for lost wages and medical bills. Beck told Fox40.com he only wanted his attorney to pursue $20,000, which would cover his out-of-pocket medical expenses.
“I feel like a victim because, basically, I tried to work this out with the parents. The parents never acknowledged my injury,” Beck told the station Wednesday.
The teen's parents, Joe and Raegan Paris, said they were shocked to receive the summons seven months after the incident. They said no one, including Beck, saw their son throw his helmet.
“I almost thought it was a joke at first and shortly there after, I realized that it’s not a joke and we need to take care of it,” the boy’s father said, noting that he has already spent thousands to fight the claim.
Gene Goldsman, an attorney for Beck, told KCRA.com he didn't think the boy intentionally meant to harm the coach, but "this wasn't a part of the game," he said.
"A guy who volunteers his time to coach should not be subjected to someone who throws a helmet in the manner that he did," he said. "What the kid did, it crossed the line."
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