The family of a boy in Wayne, NJ, who suffered brain damage after he was struck by a line drive off an aluminum baseball bat sued the bat's maker and others on Monday, saying they should have known it was dangerous. The family of Steven Domalewski, who was 12 when he was struck by the ball in 2006, filed the lawsuit in state Superior Court in New Jersey. It names Hillerich & Bradsby Co., maker of the 31-inch, 19-ounce Louisville Slugger TPX Platinum bat used when Domalewski was hit.

The lawsuit also names Little League Baseball and The Sports Authority, which sold the bat. It claims the defendants knew, or should have known, that the bat was dangerous for children to use.

“People who have children in youth sports are excited about the lawsuit from a public policy standpoint because they hope it can make the sport safer,” the family's attorney, Ernest Fronzuto, told the Associated Press, after filing the suit Monday morning. “There are also those who are skeptical of the lawsuit and don't see the connection between Steven's injury and the aluminum bat.”

Little League denies any wrongdoing, as does the bat manufacturer. Sports Authority did not yet respond to AP calls.

Domalewski was pitching in a Police Athletic League game when he was hit just above the heart by a line drive. His heart stopped beating and his brain was deprived of oxygen for 15 to 20 minutes, according to his doctors. Although he was not playing in a Little League game, the organization is being sued because it gave its seal of approval to the bat, certifying it as safe for use by children.