2 Investigators: Man Blinded After Foul Ball Accident Sues Cubs, MLB
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The man who lost sight in one eye due to a foul ball at Wrigley Field filed a lawsuit Monday against the Chicago Cubs and the MLB.
Jay Loos is suing the Cubs after a fast-moving foul ball smashed into his face, causing him to go blind in one eye.
"My eye took a direct hit -- it's not functioning," Loos said.
The 60-year-old Schaumburg father suffered broken facial bones around his left eye and a broken nose.
In August, he and his family were sitting along the first-base line when a Pittsburgh Pirates batter slammed a foul ball into section 135, Seat 107 -- and into Loos's face. He has had three surgeries as a result of the injuries and has more to come.
Loos spoke exclusively with the 2 Investigators last week and said doctors are concerned about a possible syndrome, which could cause him to go completely blind.
"Every day, every morning I wake up, I'm going to be worrying about this sympathetic eye syndrome, and did I just see my last sunset?" he says.
Loos attorney Colin Dunn says a lack of protective netting at Wrigley Field, as well as at other major league ballparks, puts fans in danger. Just weeks after Loos was hit, a young girl was struck in the face by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium, whe a girl was hit in the face. She reportedly suffered facial fractures, vision damage and bleeding on the brain.
A young boy was hit by a bat in New York in May as well. Back at Wrigley, another foul ball victim was struck in 2015.
"This has to stop," Dunn said. "This has to stop now -- we can't have anymore fans injured because of this."
Injured Cubs fan files suit against the MLB and the Cubs after a 100 mph foul ball hits him in the eye. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/QgeI4qreT5
— Dave Savini CBS (@davesavinicbs2) October 9, 2017
"It broke my heart to see that girl in New York," Loos said. "I really want more protective netting -- I don't want anybody to have to go through what I've been going through."
The Cubs won't comment on pending litigation. However, the organization has previously said that it will add at least 30 feet of netting and consider more for 2018. Netting decisions are made by each club, not the league.
As many as 1,700 fans are reportedly injured by foul balls at ballparks every year.