A Colorado man has filed a lawsuit against the Rockies after getting hit in the eye by a foul ball during a 2023 game, claiming that the team’s “longstanding poor performance” left him less engaged while sitting in a Coors Field luxury box, The Denver Post reports.
Timothy Roeckel claims he suffered “catastrophic and permanent injuries” when the foul ball struck him in the face and right eye while the Rockies were playing the New York Yankees on July 16, 2023.
The incident happened in the first inning while Roeckel, a guest of the box owner who didn’t pay for a ticket, was struck by the ball. According to The Denver Post, the lawsuit states Roeckel didn’t see the foul ball coming because of “architectural elements including the ceiling of the luxury box and the overhang of the stadium’s bleacher seats.”
Roeckel also claims the team’s poor play at the time caused him to be “less engaged with the action on the field.” The Rockies were 35-48 heading into that game.
“This cultural shift is not incidental but rather encouraged by (the Rockies’) own marketing and design choices, which emphasize hospitality and off-field amenities over fan vigilance,” Roeckel’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit, via The Denver Post.
Roeckel is seeking unspecified damages. The Rockies did not respond to The Denver Post for comment.
