Baseball fans across California and even some who may have little interest in the sport, likely know about the developments this week in the case of Bryan Stow. He’s the San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten to a pulp after a game at Dodger stadium in 2011 and is now permanently disabled and disfigured.
Two individuals who have admitted to the assault were sentenced to prison at a hearing in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week. One received four years behind bars after pleading guilty to assault causing great bodily injury. The other has been sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to one count of mayhem.
At the sentencing hearing, members of Bryan Stow’s family confronted the two men. Stow’s sister declared that the assailants had gotten off easy considering the damage they have caused to her brother and everyone in their family.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the 45-year-old former paramedic now lives with his parents, must wear adult diapers, can’t fully use his left hand and arm and has a shunt that protrudes from the base of his skull.
Whether he and his family have pursued Social Security disability benefits is not known, but the circumstances of his condition would indicate that he would be eligible for them. Anyone in a similar situation would be wise to work with an attorney in making an application.
In Stow’s case, the question of liability for the attack that has left him in his current state remains unresolved. A lawsuit has been filed against the Dodgers organization claiming that management failed to provide adequate security.
An attorney for Stow says the two years of care he has received has already exceeded $5 million. He says estimates are that it will cost another $34 million to care for Stow for the rest of his life. Punitive damages for pain and suffering are also being sought.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Bryan Stow’s family seeks millions over Dodger Stadium beating,” Richard Winton, Feb. 20, 2014
