Brain Injured Teen Hit in Chest by Baseball Receives $14.5 Million Settlement

When 14-year-old Steven Domalewski was hit by a baseball in the chest, his life was forever changed. While playing as pitcher during youth baseball, Steven was hit in the chest by a line drive off of a metal bat. He went down with a thud after the ball hit him just above the heart and went into cardiac arrest. Unfortunately, by the time paramedics reached Steven, his brain had been without oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes.

Steven and the maker of the metal bat, Little League Baseball Inc., recently reached a $14 million settlement for his injuries. Steven's parents claimed that the metal bat was unsafe because balls can carom off it much faster than a wooden bat. The ball hit Steven at a precise moment–the milliseconds between heartbeats–and although a man trained in CPR began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation within 90 seconds of the incident, it was too late. Paramedics were just a quarter of a mile away and placed an oxygen mask over Steven's face and rushed him to the hospital. He will face a lifetime of difficulties as he can't perform any daily functions because of the brain damage.

Little League Baseball Inc. released a statement that ''Steven Domalewski will receive the lifetime care he will require as a result of this tragic accident, a type of accident that is extremely rare in youth baseball.'' As part of the settlement, the Domalewskis and the company agreed not to disclose any details, including whether or not the defendant admitted liability.