John Coomer vs. The Kansas City Royals
John Coomer was watching a baseball game in 2009 when a hot dog flew into his eye. The culprit was Sluggerrr, the Kansas City Royals mascot, who was tossing hot dogs into the crowd between innings. Blinded by anger and ketchup, Coomer chose to file a lawsuit against the team. His claim? That the hot dog created a detached retina in his left eye in which he had to get surgery. Also, the act of chucking hot dogs into the crowd is dangerous.
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After deliberation, the jury ruled against Coomer, saying that airborne foodstuffs are inherent risks of watching a baseball game. They also said that since Coomer had already been to 175 Royals games and witnessed the “Hotdog Launch” many times, he was definitely aware of the danger. But Coomer appealed to a higher court and managed to get the verdict reversed. The judge ruled that “the risk of being hit in the face by a hot dog is not a well-known incidental risk of attending a baseball game.”