Top Plaintiffs' Verdicts by Impact: Stow v. Los Angeles Dodgers LLC et al.

More than three years after San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was beaten and suffered irreversible brain damage outside Dodger Stadium, attorney Thomas V. Girardi persuaded a jury to award him nearly $18 million in damages last July.

Girardi, of Girardi Keese, sued the Dodgers for premises liability in a Los Angeles County Superior Court case that drew national attention over claims of negligence.

"I think it sends a loud message that a stadium owner can't simply hide behind the fact that people are fighting," Girardi said. "The stadium owner had to prevent people from getting hurt."

The 2011 beating of Stow, who was wearing Giants gear, took place in a dimly lit parking lot. The complaint alleged the defendants' security staff failed to ensure the safety of fans attending the game. The incident occurred when the Dodgers were owned by Frank McCourt, not the team's current ownership group.

"What made the case unique was who the defendants were, meaning the Los Angeles Dodgers and Frank McCourt," said Dana A. Fox, a partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP and attorney for the defendants. "Adding to that was the fact the incident took place at a well-known location at Dodger Stadium."

The jury awarded $17.9 million. The case currently is in post-trial motions. Stow v. Los Angeles Dodgers LLC et al., BC462127 (L.A. County Sup. Ct., filed May 24, 2011).

Girardi said he wanted an outcome that would take some of the burden off Stow's parents.

"When you have people so nice, so sweet and so dedicated, we wanted desperately to get a verdict to get a caretaker to take pressure off mom and dad on a hourly basis," he said. "Bryan himself has a reputation for being a sweet man. As a lawyer, the thing turned out good and you believe you have done some good for these people."

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