WESTFIELD — A Westfield family whose young son suffered a traumatic brain injury during a baseball tournament in 2022 has filed suit against the Cooperstown Dreams Park for allegedly violating its own health and safety protocols following the incident.

In July of 2022, 12-year-old Anthony Labin traveled to the New York complex to participate in an end-of season tournament as a member of the Westfield Baseball League. According to the official complaint, filed on behalf of Anthony’s father, Ron Labin, earlier this month, Anthony was struck in the head by a “screaming line drive” after being called in to pitch during the fifth inning of a game. The boy was immediately knocked unconscious by the impact and was later treated for numerous injuries to his head, skull and brain.

Unfortunately, the Labins’ attorney, Marc Albert, said, some of those injuries have led to permanent brain damage and lasting cognitive impairments.

“Anthony has already undergone two major surgeries and continues to need regular therapeutic services,” Mr. Albert said, adding that Anthony is still struggling with both apraxia (a disorder of the brain and nervous system that prevents a person from being able to perform certain tasks or movements even if those tasks or movements are familiar) and aphasia (a cognitive disorder that affects wordfinding and language skills).

“The circumstances that led up to our son’s serious injuries could have been easily prevented had the Cooperstown Dreams Park put the safety of its young players first,” Ron Labin said via a press release last week. “We are thankful that Anthony is still with us, but he will live with the consequences of Cooperstown’s choices for the rest of his life. We hope to prevent any family from going through this situation again.”

The complaint alleges multiple counts of negligence on behalf of the park, citing deficient response times, improper team matchups (in this case, the complaint notes, the Westfield Baseball League was pitted against a nationally-ranked team of scouted athletes with no consideration given to skill level or ability), a lack of trained on-site medical personnel and equipment and rules that allowed the players to use bats that have been banned from other events due to known safety issues.

“[Anthony] laid on the field for an extended period of time before any Cooperstown Dreams Park employee arrived to attend to the emergent situation,” Mr. Albert wrote in the official complaint, adding that park employees allegedly attempted to strap Anthony to the back of a golf cart after he had been placed on to a backboard by his father and his coach. “The terrain was not equipped to handle the inevitable bumps on the route to the infirmary; as such, with each bump throughout the trip, the backboard was jolted up and down. None of the Cooperstown Dreams Park employees who attended to [Anthony] following the incident had any First Aid, Basic Life Support or CPR training.”

The complaint goes on to allege that, “an extended period of time” passed before any sort of legitimate help was able to arrive on the scene despite the fact that parents and coaches had been promised that the facility would have a fully-staffed ambulance waiting on standby in the event of a medical emergency.

Requests for comment by the Cooperstown Dreams Park were not returned at the time of publication.

“None of this should have happened,” said Mr. Albert. “It was all completely preventable.”

This Sunday, March 17, Anthony’s mother, Marijo Labin, will be running the New York City Half Marathon to help raise money for the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation, a local institution that has helped Anthony navigate the road to recovery.

“After Anthony’s [injury], the doctors, therapists and staff provided support, caring and strength and continue to do so through outpatient therapy,” Mrs. Labin wrote via a fundraising site. “We are so grateful and I am honored to run in support of Children’s Specialized Hospital.”

Donations to the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation can be made in Anthony’s name by visiting https://events.childrensspecialized.org/ and searching “Labin” in the fundraiser search bar.