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Stow Family Attorney Sees Dodgers Sale As New Chance For Settlement

LOS ANGELES (KCBS) - The pending bankruptcy sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers could entice owner Frank McCourt or Major League Baseball to settle the civil suit brought against the team by the family of Bryan Stow.

Tom Girardi, the attorney representing the family of the San Francisco Giants fan severely beaten outside Dodger Stadium, said he approached the league about a settlement on Thursday.

KCBS' Chris Sedens Reports:

"I think what would happen is that somebody would want to get a firm handle on really what a fair, reasonable resolution of this case would be," he said, adding that the final outcome of the court supervised auction may yet preclude a settlement.

"We don't know if the stadium itself and the parking structure would all be part of the sale or not. If they're still in the case, then the case will go to trial," Girardi said.

Damages in the case could run as high as $50 million, making the Stow family the Dodgers' largest unsecured creditor. Girardi said he was more optimistic the team would settle now that that McCourt was withdrawing.

"His attitude was not, how can I correct the terrible wrong I've done, but rather to blame Mr. Stow," he said.

McCourt's lawyer said Stow was partially to blame for the attack on March 31 that until recently left him in a medically induced coma.

Two San Bernardino men, Marvin Norwood and Louie Sanchez, are facing separate criminal trials for the attack. They have pleaded not guilty to charges of mayhem, assault and battery

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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