Lawsuits take school's swing sets away from kids

[angelahk28f]

The rest of the story:

1. National safety standards now call for rubber-based surfaces around swing sets. The school did not want to pay for the update.

2. "During the past five years, the school district's casualty insurance provider, the West Virginia Board of Risk and Insurance Management, has had to pay two liability claims totaling $1,513 because of swing set injuries."-The Herald-Dispatch

[angelahk28f]

So what's the true story? Did the injury come from improperly maintained equipment? What was the exact injuries? Was the problem addressed after the first child was injured? The school board would have settled if they were not at fault some way.

I know our local park has a slide with a big hole in it for months. I'm surprised a kid hasn't chopped off a hand.

[Ramnement]

it's sad how "sensitive" or just "money grubbing" some people are today. Like honestly people, Don't sue the fucking place because you want to be a dick to every single person after your lawsuit. Things like this pretty much have ruined our freedom(s) in America, as a kid, as anybody. Hell who knows, what if someone decides to sue The Hospital system because they purposely fell on their ass? I guess we'll all have to wear rubber suits by then before we come into life-endangering situations.

[underman8000]

That is such a dick move!! not the swing set!! take the slides but not the fucking swing set!! I mean what the fuck?!

REALLY?!!

[sr71ablackbird]

just plain damned stupidity from the parents to make a quick buck is all it is. Heck, parents, little boys and girls are bound to get bumps, bruises, scrapes, scratches & whatnot while they are playing on a playground, that's just part of life, whether it be a playground at a school or public park. SO LIVE WITH IT, ya parent jokers ever heard of bactine?..lol.. I was born in the 60s, raised in the 70s & had the experiences w/ these playgrounds, both school and park, yet, I am still alive !!!

[tkcrofamericans]

I would like to know the names of the Idiot parents that sued the school over getting hurt being a kid.They need to be outed so we can publicly humiliated for being stupid and also the lawyer so we can stop the stupidity.

[wrestlemaniac202]

I work at an outdoor paintball facility and we have waivers that people need to sign before playing paintball but I've seen case studies on paintball fields that are insured that got sued over shit like a rolled ankle

[dudeitsart]

shit like this is stupid along with the family that made the school take off the swings.

there's a mexican saying that goes like this..

"in the U.S. you can trip on a uneven curb and you can sue the city, state, government, even the owner of the house where the curb was in front off.

in mexico you trip on a curb, they'll call you a fucking idiot."

these lawsuits destroy people and society.

[OceansideRamona]

P.S. and yeah, I get that accidents do happen but they can still be significantly reduced if the equipment is used properly and if a duty aid or someone of authority is watching over. =\

[OceansideRamona]

I see both sides of the story. On one hand, these kids should not be getting hurt at all if they are using the playground equipment properly. There is such a thing as getting too rowdy and I notice a lot of the time when at the park that these kids tend to push the limits and have a "I'm invincible" attitude. Second of all, who is watching these kids to make sure they *are* using the equipment properly, and third, if people are suing the school left and right, what do you expect them to do?

[areuter727]

Hey everybody,

Instead of leaving a comment and then going about your lives do this:

1. Leave a comment.

2. Call AND write your local, state and federal lawmakers to end lawsuit abuse.

If not then this type of stuff will continue to ruin America.

[Rukia122]

All i can say is people are too sensitive now. People are becoming wimps. Way too many law suites. Way too many restrictions. He are HANDICAPPING ourselves with all these rules and restrictions. Too many rules can make us weaker.

[jewel11]

Kids can get injuries from anything. I think these parents just want to pump money out of the school because they don't want to admit they didn't teach their kids properly.

[sr71ablackbird]

@jewel11 heck, anybody can get hurt doing anything, from what everyone says, heck, we can even get cancer from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. i just think that this particular set of parents never heard of bactine is all...lol... I was lucky enough to be raised where everything was metal, except the swing seats which were wood covered in rubber.

[VJFranzK]

Another example - there are too many frivolous lawsuits today. This type of thing also contributes to the health care crisis.

[MrTroll199]

i get hurt on playgrounds and i dont go around suing just for the fun of it. its bullshit. they most likley use the money at mohegan sun casino in the slots or blackjack.

[latlanticcityphil]

When you really take time look who are the losers it[s the kids ! the trail lawers are the winners, hell when i got hurt playing i got back off the ground and played some more no big deal. Today everybody trying to over protect their kids and suie if you breath on somebody kids, and thats crazy, now we have to live in a bubble !

[1grandmajoyce]

How sad for the children! 

[namelessliar]

Who ever said that kids have a right to play on dangerous playground equipment? I applaud those that have made playgrounds safer for our children. If you want your kids to engage in dangerous activities, then do it on your time and not when they are supposed to be learning.

[zpgJiggleBilly]

@namelessliar Kids getting hurt when they play is a fact of life, kids break their ankles running, their arms when they slip in the mud, they get concussions when they run into a tree branch. A swing isn't the problem, and exercise on a playground is essential to a productive learning environment. If a kid gets hurt you take care of it and accept the fact that it happens some times. Playgrounds can't get much safer than they are now, pull your head out of your ass.

[namelessliar]

@zpgJiggleBilly - What exactly is your point? That kids need to learn by getting hurt? That children playing on the playground helps their development? Fine, lets say that both of your views are correct. Hell, lets agree on everything you said.

Here is my point, they do not need to encounter these dangers in SCHOOL. If you want your children to play on the playground, then do it after school and on weekends, but the purpose of school is to learn. How about YOU pull YOUR head out of your ass?

[zpgJiggleBilly]

@namelessliar Your not getting it, taking a 30min break during the middle of the day for kids with a lot of energy to go play on the playground is the essential part. Not after school, not before, during school. If you can just ignore all the psychological studies done on the subject then there is no reasoning with you. If you had kids you would understand this fact.

[namelessliar]

@zpgJiggleBilly - No you're not getting it. I agree that they need a break and that they need exercise. But they can get just as much exercise, if not more, by playing traditional sports on a playground without the necessity of a swingset/jungle gym/merry-go-round. They also get an outlet through P.E. You're implying that I want to take away recess and put them in rooms with padded walls, but I only want for their playgrounds to be safer. I do have kids, which is why I care about their safety.

[zpgJiggleBilly]

You also need to be aware that kids getting hurt on a playground is a rare occurrence. It is even more rare to see equipment to be at fault. Lastly schools have insurance in place to take care of these injuries when they happen on school ground, suing the schools isn't a solution.

[zpgJiggleBilly]

i should correct myself, sometimes suing schools is the only way to take care of something, however in this particular case the lawsuit was unfounded

[namelessliar]

@zpgJiggleBilly - No, suing a school is seldom the "only way to take care of something." Due to sovereign immunity, schools are mostly protected from lawsuits unless there is some form of negligence. Since this case wasn't tossed out on sovereign immunity grounds, and since the school settled out of court, there likely was some form of negligence on their part that led to the injury. I'm sorry that you aren't willing to fight a school that negligently hurt your kids...I would as a good parent.

[sr71ablackbird]

@zpgJiggleBilly i hear you there about the productive learning enviroment, yet the teachers and the so-called school experets whine and moan about it, then they have the nerve to cry out about childhood obesity when they ban childrens games such as side-doge, kickball and tag ( 3 of the games that burn up the most calories.) right there to me, that's the pot calling the kettle black. I'm just wondering if those so-called 'educated ones' are actually that dumbed down?

[gcjoy]

Really? I'd bet that this the typical propaganda campaign by the insurance lobby. They love to take the premium money, they hate to pay claims. Fire up the great unwashed and convince them this is the direct result of the personal injury bar. the ILR is "an affiliate of the U.S. chamber of commerce". Who would have guessed.

[ChiBoompty]

@gcjoy "They love to take the premium money, they hate to pay claims."

Wow, sounds they're just like the government then, only without the force of law behind them.