TALLAHASSEE – An appeals court has refused to dismiss a lawsuit against Miami-Dade County stemming from a 2016 incident in which a drunken driver crashed through a fence at a baseball field and severely injured a man.
Javier Perez, who was principal of South Dade High School at the time, was attending his son’s baseball game at Tamiami Park when he was struck by the vehicle. He suffered injuries that ultimately required amputating his legs, according to Wednesday’s ruling by a three-judge panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal.
Perez filed a lawsuit alleging negligence by Miami-Dade County, which argued it should be shielded from the case by sovereign immunity. A circuit judge refused to dismiss the case, and the appeals court upheld that decision.