Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed by Parents of Boy Killed at Camp Dearborn

The parents of a 10-year-old boy who died while playing on the Jungle Float at Camp Dearborn have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Dearborn and other defendants. The boy was playing on the Jungle Float on Phillip Lake when he is alleged to have slipped off the structure. He tried to grab onto a handle to prevent himself from falling, but the handle gave way and he fell from the upper part of the float to the lower part, striking a railing with his chest. He then fell into the water.

According to the lawsuit, the parents contend that the handles were defective or defectively installed creating a serious risk of imminent danger to any child who was playing on the float. They also contend that there was a lapse in providing life-saving treatment to the child after the accident occurred. The child’s older brother witnessed the incident.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the City of Dearborn, two lifeguards who were on duty at the time of the accident, and the manufacturer of the Jungle Float on which the boy was playing when he died. The family contends that there were too few lifeguards on duty at the time of the accident and that they lacked sufficient training to deal with his injuries.

Analyzing the claims in this wrongful death lawsuit 

The parents have made several allegations related to the death of their son. They allege that the structure itself was defective which resulted in a handlebar giving way and causing the 10-year-old to fall to his death. They are suing both the City of Dearborn for negligent maintenance on the float and the manufacturers of the float. They also claim that the lifeguards were negligent in applying first aid to their son after he was injured and fell into the water. The parents claim that there were not enough lifeguards to protect children who were playing in the water and they weren’t given adequate training to deal with the injury. They claim that there was a delay in rendering first aid to the child after he was injured due to these factors and that contributed to his untimely death.

The parents have a point. In this case, the owner and operator of the Jungle Float would be liable if something went wrong with the float that caused an injury or death. In this case, the plaintiffs claim that a defective handlebar caused the boy to tumble to his death. If true, then the City of Dearborn could be held liable for the boy’s death as well as the manufacturers of the float. It remains unclear why the handlebar was loose, but the boy’s life could have been saved had the handlebar worked as it should.

Talk to an Oakland Personal Injury Lawyer Today 

The Oakland, CA personal injury attorneys at Venardi Zurada file lawsuits on behalf of those who have been injured or killed due to the negligence of others. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation and learn more about how we can help.