Aluminum baseball bat’s safety put on trial in death of amateur Montana pitcher
By Brock Vergakis, APThursday, October 22, 2009
Aluminum baseball bat’s safety on trial in Montana
HELENA. Mont. — A Montana jury will decide whether a baseball bat manufacturer can be held liable for the death of an 18-year-old pitcher who was hit in the head by a hard line drive.
Hillerich & Bradsby, manufacturers of Louisville Slugger bats, is being sued by the mother of Brandon Patch, who died in 2003 after a batter using an aluminum bat smacked a ball so hard that Patch had little time to react.
Patch’s family contends the aluminum bat is unreasonably dangerous. Attorneys for Hillerich & Bradsby contend aluminum bats are no more dangerous than wooden bats.
The jury trial is expected to go through at least early next week.
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