Community swimming pool closes due to lawsuit

"When there are frivolous lawsuits, I don't think that the people realize what an impact they're going to have on the entire community."

Evelyn Graham
Mt. Laurel Pool
Hazleton, Pennsylvania

When the Mt. Laurel Pool in Hazleton, Pennsylvania closed, the community was devastated. "A lot of kids lived for that. They loved it," says Paul Wanuga, a Hazleton resident. "And it was good because it kept kids out of trouble" in a community where residents say there is too much vandalism and crime. But a lawsuit shuttered the pool, and the once pristine facility is now in shambles.

The pool and its founder, Evelyn Graham, welcomed thousands of swimmers every summer for more than ten years. Mt. Laurel Pool provided a gathering place for families and neighbors and summer jobs for teenagers. One former lifeguard says, "When you're younger, it is difficult to find a place of employment, and Evelyn gave us that opportunity to have a place to learn good work ethics."

One summer, despite rules painted on the sidewalk and a warning from the lifeguard, a man ran and jumped into the pool, cutting his heel. "There was nothing we did wrong. He did it to himself," the pool manager says. The lifeguard and manager cleaned and bandaged the cut, and the manager recalls that he said "Its nothing. It's just a little cut... No problem."

But, later, Mt. Laurel Pool was sued. The man and his wife claimed $100,000 for the injury, and Graham's lawyers recommended that she settle what she considered to be a wildly frivolous case. She was baffled, and, fearing copy cat lawsuits, she decided to close the pool.

In the end, it was the community that suffered most. Hazleton families no longer have a place to swim, and everyone from the ticket takers to the management lost their jobs. "They sue when they shouldn't sue," Wanuga says. "But then we have lawyers who thrive on it. They love it. They wish you would sue, too."

"Im sure they have other motives in mind," says a former lifeguard, "but they can't possibly take into consideration what it's doing to everybody else."

Part of the FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org awareness campaign.

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[SexSteakSoda]

The man, "oh its nothing, just a cut." His wife saw it as an opportunity to make money. Typical woman, out for cash. They calim they're independent yet they're the first to sue for child support and alimoney. Regardless, a whole community had to suffer because of the greed of one person. I wonder if she drives by that vacant lot that was once filled with kids swimming and feels good about it?

[shadowwbn]

Yet again ANOTHER example of why our country is going to hell, why unemployment is skyrocketing, why corporations are packing up and going overseas. PLUS all of OUR tax money being spent catering these circus routines, thats right I said judges that allow crap like this are nothing but freaking CLOWNS wearing a black robe, and their court room is a circus. Any judge that is like this has NO POWER as far as I am concerned, and I will show no respect.

[nypddblue]

I hope someone fucking kills those people

[Oscette2010]

What Mrs. Graham doesn't tell is that she had an opportunity to sell the pool to a New Jersey businessman and told him it wasn;t financially feasible. Then toldd the newspaper she couldn't sell it and decided to back fill it.

[chopseh]

She settled out of court? There is absolutely no reason that she should've closed the pool because of damages. The court didn't impose an injunction preventing the the pool from running. This isn't a result of lawsuit abuse, and more a result of ignorance of how the law works. She should have taken it to court.

[chopseh]

Maybe instead of spending money on a high definition camera, video editing software, etc. You guys should've hired a hot-shot lawyer to avoid losing the lawsuit.

[dudeitsart]

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.

[pentax02839]

great way to make living,by suing.what a loser.I wonder if he lives in that town? if does im sure.he moved out real fast.I say we pay this morons house a visit.then fall down in his yard.then turn and sue him.

[robsee055]

It's his dumbass fault for running... What a fucking retard...

[wilatemodel]

karma is a mutherfucker,..

[mcwolfus]

Over here in the UK we had a cases like this. One woman suing a charity which maintains our castles and such. The charity is called The national Trust, and is helped by donations and volunteers. The woman broke into the castle when it was shut and fell into the moat. She sued and got a few thousand pounds. She is scum, and the solicitors are even bigger scum. I call this situation moral banrupcy, which is promoted by a capatalist/ materialist system based on the concept 'greed is good'.

[TheDarrylJohnsonShow]

Get on the bus guys! Lawsuits are a great way to raise Christmas Cash!