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Man Hit In Eye By Flying Hot Dog Sues Kansas City Royals

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Can you sue a baseball team if you get hit by a flying hot dog?

Let's be frank. The fact that someone invented a hot dog cannon - the thing that shoots hot dogs into the crowd at a baseball game - is testament to American ingenuity. As American as playing baseball.

And filing a lawsuit. Which is what a Kansas City Royals fan did when he suffered a detached retina after getting hit in the eye by a hot dog shot from a hot dog cannon into the crowd by the Royals mascot. The team argued that fans know there are certain risks in a baseball stadium, like being hit by an errant foul ball, so if you choose to go anyway, you can't sue for harm that's caused.

But, the Royals are faring better on the field than in the court. The Missouri Supreme Court recently ruled that while there are some risks a fan assumes, a hot dog to the eye isn't one of them. The court said that the fan can sue the team, which may spell the end of the hot dog cannon.

So, instead of thanking the guy who protected their rights, Kansas City Royals fans are probably thinking... what a weenie.

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