When Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. hit a foul ball that fractured the skull of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl at Houston's Minute Maid Park in 2019, it set off a string of reactions, starting with Almora's instant, visible remorse.
Then came the lawsuit and the safety netting, which now protects Major League Baseball fans to varying degrees in parks across the country.
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Sports Illustrated, citing the Houston Chronicle, reports that the family of the injured girl, who has battle seizures since the incident, has reached a settlement with the Houston Astros.
No terms of the settlement were revealed, but the girl's family was previously suing for unspecified damages after claiming the Astros were negligent when the girl was injured.
"This is the initiation of that process,” Richard Mithoff, the family's attorney, told the Chronicle on Friday. “The matter has been resolved and we are now seeking court approval of that settlement, which we are required to do under the law.”
The girl reportedly has been treated for seizures since the incident, which was widely considered to be the impetus for MLB's push to extend foul ball netting at each of its 30 ballparks.
“She’s doing pretty well,” Mithoff told the Chronicle. “Her anti-seizure medication has been gradually reduced over the last two years and so she has been seizure-free for 22 months.
"We anticipate she will continue to improve and they can continue to reduce the anti-seizure medications. She seems to be doing well. The family is obviously very hopeful about the future.”
