A Pittsburgh Pirates fan has filed a lawsuit against the Atlanta Braves in an effort to recoup undetermined medical expenses stemming from a beating he suffered during a game in 2008, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday.
Elmer Collins claims to have lost 11 teeth in a beating he sustained outside a restroom at Atlanta's Turner Field in April 2008. He is suing the organization for at least $38,714, mostly for "estimated future surgery," according to the Journal-Constitution.
The Georgia resident and Pirates fan claims Braves' "employees and agents were otherwise negligent" in their failure to heed complaints concerning a group of nearby rowdy fans.
Collins, who reportedly wore a black Pirates hat to the game, twice complained to ushers and security staff after six men continuously used foul language and obstructed views of fans sitting behind them.
"These six young men were visibly intoxicated when they arrived and they continued to consume alcohol throughout the remainder of the game," the lawsuit said. "Throughout the baseball game, these six young men were rowdy, boisterous and verbally abusive to [Collins], including the use of a racial slur."
Collins' suit claims after the second discussion with security he was informed "his only recourse was to file a written complaint at another concourse across the stadium."
Collins, who was at the game with his 11-year-old nephew and a friend, decided to leave at that point, according to the report, but was confronted by the six men outside of a restroom.
He claims one of them flicked a cigarette at his chest and at the precise moment he looked up he was "violently struck in the mouth and knocked to the ground." Collins was then beaten until he was unconscious, according to the suit.
Collins reportedly suffered a broken jaw and continues to suffer from headaches and muscle spasms. He is seeking reimbursement for any other economic losses and for "future pain and suffering" — as well as punitive damages against the Braves for willful misconduct, according to the report.
