Nine-Year-Old Hit by Golf Club at Oregon Topgolf Awarded $15.8 Million After Jury Verdict

Following a trial lasting almost two weeks before U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez, an eight-man jury awarded $15.8 million for pain and suffering and economic damages to an Oregon couple following an injury to their nine-year-old son who was hit on the head by a golf club at Topgolf in Hillsboro.

The federal jury handed down its verdict on Thursday after nearly two days of deliberations, finding Topgolf 97% negligent, and the parents of another boy who were hosting the party, 3% negligent.

The Boy Suffered Brain Injury and Had Titanium Plates Inserted Into His Skull

The injured boy’s parents, Kristina and David Thomsen, who filed the lawsuit, were seeking $34 million in damages for injuries to their son, Henry, who suffered a brain injury when his skull was fractured in the incident on Veterans Day on November 11, 2021. Henry underwent surgery to have three titanium plates inserted into his skull.

According to court records, an analysis of the two Topgolf locations in Hillsboro and Roseville, California, revealed 27 incidents of people being struck by golf clubs between 2019 to 2021. The majority of the injuries involved children and were to the head and face.

The Thomsen’s attorney argued that the birthday hosts, Jim Watkins and Arthur Hung, were responsible for the safety of the children at the Veterans Day birthday celebration.

Court records state that Henry Thomsen, together with several other boys, crossed a red line separating two hitting bays and was struck on the forehead by a boy swinging a golf club.

Videos shown by the Thomsen’s attorneys show both children and adults suffering strikes from people swinging golf clubs in Topgolf hitting bays.

Also, testimony during the Thomsen lawsuit revealed that Topgolf failed to deliver a safety warning to the birthday party guests, a standard procedure required before hitting golf balls at the venue.