Couple Sues White Sox After Parking Lot Assault
By Jim Bochnowski in News on May 22, 2015 8:45PM
Following an assault at a parking lot near U.S. Cellular Field, a couple has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox, alleging that the team did not do enough to prevent such an incident from taking place.
According to the lawsuit, Kenneth and Michelle Budka returned to a parking lot outside the stadium July 19, 2014 when they found three men peeing on their car. Kenneth approached these strangers in an attempt to have them stop urinating and move along, and was subsequently "violently attacked, beaten, punched and kicked."
The lawsuit contends that the White Sox and the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA), which owns the parking lot in question, failed to provide qualified security personnel to prevent such an attack. The couple are suing for damages that include medical bills and lost wages. NBC reached out to the organization for comment, but was told they do not comment on pending litigation.
It's worth noting that a number of parking lots surrounding major sporting event venues clearly note that parking lots are "Park At Your Own Risk," giving a clear disclaimer to patrons. However, while scouring the White Sox and the ISFA's websites, we were not able to locate a similar alert. Representatives of the ISFA were not immediately available for comment.
For a bit of precedent, back in 2011, a similar incident occurred at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. A visiting San Francisco Giants fan was brutally attacked by Dodgers fans following a game, causing brain damage and leaving him disabled. The injured fan filed a lawsuit against the team, accusing them of failing to provide proper security and lighting the night of his attack, and was eventually awarded $15 million from the franchise.