The Battle of the Bibs continues.
Mike Hicks and 167 other professional caddies have appealed U.S. District Judge Vince Girdhari Chhabria’s decision to dismiss their $50 million class-action lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
The caddies raised contract, antitrust and intellectual property claims against the Tour when they filed suit in February 2015, alleging that the Tour had reduced them to “human billboards” by forcing them to wear bibs displaying Tour sponsorships without compensating them for the revenue they generate.
While the judge sympathized with the caddies’ accusations of “poor treatment” by the Tour, he nevertheless dismissed their legal claims, determining that the caddies voluntarily agreed to a contractual uniform requirement, which includes the bibs.
The 66-page appeal, however, cites “a collection of errors” in the court’s decision.
“The record demonstrates that the court’s dismissal of the caddies’ complaint resulted from the court’s improper insistence on resolving fact issues with unfounded suppositions and one-sided evidence, and without reference to governing legal standards or reasonable inferences supporting the caddies’ claims.”
Rick Meadows of the Lanier Law Firm, which represents the caddies, told GOLF.com that the judge exceeded his authority by bringing in evidence Meadows says was beyond the scope of the motion.
“He became judge and jury all at once,” Meadows said. “We didn’t get a chance to combat that, so we want that opportunity.”
Source: www.golf.com
Be the first to comment on "Caddies Appeal Dismissal of $50 Million Lawsuit Against PGA Tour"