Mont. jury awards $850,000 in aluminum bat lawsuit

By MATT GOURAS Associated Press Writer

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A Montana jury has found the maker of Louisville Slugger baseball bats failed to adequately warn about the dangers the product can pose, awarding a family $850,000 for the 2003 death of their son in a baseball game.

The jury on Wednesday awarded a total of $850,000 in damages against Hillerich & Bradsby for failure to place warnings on the product. However, the jury decided the product was not defective.

Brandon Patch's family argued that aluminum baseball bats are dangerous because they cause the ball to travel at a greater speed.

They argued their 18-year-old son did not have enough time to react to the ball being struck before it hit him in the head while he was pitching in an American Legion baseball game in Helena in 2003.

Debbie Patch says she hopes the decision will make more people aware of the dangers associated with aluminum bats and that more youth leagues will switch to using wooden bats.

The attorneys for Hillerich & Bradsby declined to comment.