A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who contended that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ medical team treated her with skepticism when she was stumbled into and injured by a drunk fan at Dodger Stadium in 2023 and that an LAPD officer later told her, “Everyone is drunk at Dodger Stadium.”
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Holly J. Fujie tossed Rebecca Arvizu’s lawsuit against the World Series champions on Monday because the team was never served with the plaintiff’s complaint. The judge’s dismissal is “without prejudice,” meaning Arvizu is not barred from refiling the case later.
Arvizu’s suit alleged negligence, negligent hiring, supervision and retention, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil rights violations and premises liability. Arvizu sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
A Dodger representative previously said the team had no comment on Arvizu’s suit. The city of Los Angeles and the LAPD were not defendants. The City Attorney’s Office, previously offered a chance to comment anyway, did not do so.
In her lawsuit, Arvizu said she went to Dodger Stadium on April 18, 2023, a game in which Clayton Kershaw went seven innings, struck out nine and won his 200th game as the home team shut out the Mets, 5-0.
According to her suit brought Feb. 28, Arvizu was hurt when a drunken patron stumbled and collided with the plaintiff, causing her to fall over two rows of seats. She says she got a good look at the culprit, who went to another level, and could have identified him in a lineup.
Arvizu further contended that security failed to look for the person who hurt her and that she suffered a broken arm, fractured ribs and a lacerated leg. Dodger staff members took Arvizu to the stadium’s fan first aid room, where she says she was treated skeptically by white EMTs who left her on the floor for a long period and who also appeared believe that she was drunk because she is Latina.
Not happy with the team security’s alleged poor response, Arvizu tried to report her injuries to the LAPD in early May 2023, but was told by officers and staff that what happened to her “did not constitute a crime because the individual involved was intoxicated and the collision was deemed an accident,” the suit stated.
One officer told Arvizu, “Everyone is drunk at Dodger Stadium,” leaving the plaintiff with the impression the officer had a “dismissive” attitude toward the severity of what happened, the suit further stated.
Arvizu says she ultimately convinced the officers to take a report, but that they “made it clear that no further investigation would occur,” according to the suit, a decision that Arvizu believes was “motivated by racial bias,” the suit stated.
In addition to her physical injuries, Arvizu has suffered emotional distress and financial losses, according to the suit.