GIRL AND FAMILY SETTLE FOR $2.2 MILLION IN PLAYGROUND CHOKING ACCIDENT—CALL SAN FRANCISCO PREMISES LIABILITY AND PRODUCT LIABILITY ATTORNEYS NOW (Part 2 of 2)

Playground injury cases can fall under the category of premises liability or product liability issues. If the injury occurred because the area was not properly maintained or posed other safety issues, then it would likely fall under a premises liability case, where the owner of the premises would be responsible for the damages. However, in a product liability case, there would have to be a defect in the design or the manufacturing of the playground equipment. The family of Tanayia Blanchard was awarded $2.2 million in addition to another $7 million settlement they received a couple of years ago for the injuries that the girl suffered at a playground.

The incident occurred in 2006 when Tanayia was found unconscious hanging from a rope off of a playground structure. The lawsuit was against the housing authority where the playground was located and against a city police officer for failing to resuscitate her when he reached the scene of the incident. The police officer, Kendrick Wong, determined that the girl did not have a pulse and began to treat the playground as a crime scene. It turned out that the girl was still alive, and remains in a vegetative state to this day. The rope was placed on the playground structure as a part of the “zip line” equipment so that the younger children could reach the handle.

The damages awarded to the family will mostly go to the care of the girl, who requires 24 hour medical care at a skilled nursing facility. Has your child been injured in a playground or pool incident and you want to recover compensation for your damages? If so, you need to contact the law firm of Greenberg & Rudman LLP immediately for a free and confidential consultation of your case at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO), or visit our website www.alawpro.com for more information on premises liability and product liability lawsuits.