MIAMI (Reuters)
A Florida woman whose nose was broken
by a baseball thrown by a pitcher named ``Wild
Thing''
will receive $2.7 million to make up for her pain, court
officials said Wednesday.
A Broward County jury awarded Linda Postlethwaite, 48,
$972,000 Tuesday. Postlethwaite, a former stockbroker from
Boca Raton, will receive the remainder from confidential
settlements.
Postlethwaite's nose was broken on Aug. 8, 1993, when she was
hit by a pitch during a baseball game between the
Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies.
She sued both teams, then-Marlins owner H. Wayne Huizenga and
the stadium's owner, Robbie Stadium Corp. for
her injuries. All of the defendants except the Phillies and the
stadium owner had settled after the jury was selected.
Attorneys argued that the net over the stadium bullpen had
been lowered so it would not block fans' views and was
therefore not high enough to protect Postlethwaite from errant
pitches.
Postlethwaite was hit by a pitch thrown by Phillies' relief
pitcher Mitch Williams, a player nicknamed ``Wild Thing''
because of his
reputation for his awkward pitching style and
reputation for throwing wildly.
Bob Kelley, Postlethwaite's attorney, said she continues to
suffer from headaches and impaired concentration.
``She hasn't worked since the accident,'' he said in
Wednesday's Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.
Williams and HOK Sports, the stadium's designer, were not
found accountable.
Huizenga was found most to blame with 35.5 percent.
