Milberg Files Ticket Refund Lawsuit Against Major League Baseball
LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Milberg Phillips Grossman LLP filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of Major League Baseball (MLB) ticket holders who are being denied refunds for the 2020 season.
On March 12, MLB cancelled the remainder of Spring Training and postponed the start of the baseball season by two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MLB said the action was "being taken in the interests of the safety and well-being of our players, Clubs and our millions of loyal fans." Those millions of fans, however, are unable to get refunds for tickets purchased prior to the start of the 2020 season. Not only is a standard 162-game season with spectators a near impossibility, but the entire season could be cancelled, or played without spectators.
"Fans are justified in crying foul over the league's ticket refund policy," said Milberg Partner, Marc Grossman. "There would be no Major League Baseball without the fans. This is a time for MLB and other organizations to do right by the people who love the game, and have supported them for years."
According to USA Today, consumers have more than $1 billion tied up in tickets to MLB, NBA, and NHL games that may not be played this season. Even if play is resumed, top health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have indicated that the only way professional sports will be played during the summer of 2020 is if no fans are in attendance. A recent Seton Hall poll found that just 13% of Americans would feel comfortable attending sporting events without a vaccine for the coronavirus.
The consumer class action lawsuit was filed in California on behalf of all persons and entities who purchased tickets for MLB games directly from teams, as well as all persons and entities who purchased tickets from ticket merchants such as Ticketmaster and StubHub. The complaint names as defendants Major League Baseball, each individual MLB club, and ticket resellers, such as StubHub and Ticketmaster.
"During an unprecedented crisis, while so many businesses have provided refunds for services that can't be fulfilled, it remains notable that baseball—America's pastime—is forcing fans to take the loss on ticket sales," said Milberg Partner, Glenn Phillips. "Millions of Americans are out of work right now and need access to the funds wrongfully withheld by MLB, MLB teams, and ticket merchants."
Milberg joined the Sanders Phillips Grossman LLP Coronavirus Litigation Task Force in March to investigate suspected wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Milberg's founding in 1965, it has repeatedly taken the lead in landmark cases that have set groundbreaking legal precedents and recovered more than $50 billion in verdicts and settlements.
MLB ticket holders who wish to discuss their rights or interests regarding this class action should contact attorney Blake Yagman at Milberg, toll free at (866) 252-0878 or visit online Milberg.com/contact-us
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SOURCE Milberg Phillips Grossman LLP
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