Family of Fresno man who died in taco-eating contest sues for negligence
FRESNO — The son of a Fresno man who choked to death during an amateur taco-eating contest at a minor league baseball game is suing the event’s organizers for negligence.
Eighteen-year-old Marshall Hutchings’ lawsuit, which was filed Monday, alleges that his father, Dana Hutchings, was not made aware of the risks and danger involved in an eating competition, the Fresno Bee reported.
The 41-year-old died after choking on tacos while competing in the contest during a Fresno Grizzlies game on Aug. 13, 2019. Participants competed to devour as many tacos as possible during a certain amount of time.
Organizers canceled the World Taco Eating Championship that was scheduled to be held in Chukchansi Park a few days later.
The lawsuit names Fresno Sports and Events, the owner of the Grizzlies.
“We won’t be making any public comments,†Grizzlies President Derek Frank said in an email.
The fallout continues for the minor league baseball team that earlier this week showed a video that suggested that Rep.
Professionals in the sport of competitive eating train and make themselves physically ready to participate, Hutchings’ attorney Martin Taleisnik said.
“But that is not always present in an amateur eating contest,†Taleisnik said. “The conductors of this event should have made the risks known to the competitors and taken steps to protect them.â€
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