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Bryan Stow Awarded $18M In Dodger Stadium Assault

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — After nine days of deliberations, jurors Wednesday awarded approximately $18 million in damages to a San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten into a coma outside Dodger Stadium two years ago.

The Los Angeles Superior Court jury exonerated former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt of any culpability in the attack that left Bryan Stow with permanent brain damage after the 2011 attack.

The Los Angeles Dodgers LLC, the business entity created by McCourt when he owned the team, will have to pay Stow and his family about $14 million the jurors awarded for past and future medical expenses and loss of earnings, according to Stow attorney Thomas Girardi.

As for the $4 million the jury awarded Stow for pain and suffering, the Dodgers are responsible for paying 25 percent of that amount, totaling about $1 million.

The panel of six men and six women assigned the rest of the blame for Stow's injuries on Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood, the two men who attacked Stow in parking lot 2 on March 31, 2011.

The current ownership of the Dodgers was not targeted in the lawsuit and has no liability in the case.

The Stow family had sought approximately $55 million for medical costs and for pain and suffering. While they say they're disappointed with the award they're also relieved the trial is over.

"I don't even understand what happened in there, but Bryan will know he got some help today," Stow's father, David, said outside the courtroom.

"You know, as a lawyer, you always want more, and so forth," said Girardi, who added the verdict will go a long way toward helping the Stow family care for the former paramedic.

"The most important thing about this case is [Stow] will get some care to take the pressure off his mom and dad, who could be the greatest two mom and dads that have taken care of him," Girardi said.

Jurors voted 9-3 in favor of the verdict, KCAL9's Dave Lopez learned.

"We're so appreciative of the time the jury has put in. This is going on seven weeks," Stow's mother, Ann, said outside the courtroom. "We're through with it, Bryan got some money, and it's going towards his recovery."

The Stow family sued McCourt and the Dodgers LLC for lifetime medical bills that were be projected to be approximately $38 million, claiming McCourt was negligent for providing insufficient security during the team's 2011 home opener.

Both Sanchez and Norwood accepted plea deals in February and were sentenced to prison.

Stow, now 45, nearly died in the attack and has permanent brain damage. He will rely on a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

McCourt's legal team argued that the security on Opening Day was the largest single security force ever presented at Dodger Stadium, and that Stow had a blood-alcohol level of over twice the legal limit for driving in California.

"Dave's 70 and I'm 67, and we're not going to be able to take care of Bryan for much longer," Stow's mother said.

McCourt's attorneys estimated care to cost $11 million as they believe the attack decreased Stow's life expectancy by at least 10 years.

(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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