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4—OWATONNAPEOPLESPRES9� Sun.,May7,1978 �. <br />�.��Z�'i��� ��C���: <br />' 4 � yc Y - : W��yJ3.� <br />`f lwey R gholw. adibn: � .�y a T?Y�.. <br />.. � LR Nn� iw.�diro w�i .Kr y., . <br />,135 W. Psar{—P O Boc ]e6- <br />C n . �y � �.Pha+(50)) <br />.:��� ��5� -�-�=�� <br />. � w:..�� <br />� Wehave someieal concemi in light oP the recrrt <br />jur� trial and subsequent award� of �more� than <br />y12,W0.to an Owatonna area womau for injuries she <br />received 2�h years-agb on a merty-go-rwnd at <br />- IDiineral Springs Park. � � -� �.:r� ! � ". <br />In that par[icular case, the� jury,found �the <br />woman's husband S5 per cent negligent; Ne city 35 <br />per c:nt negligent; and the woman90 per cent <br />negligent. The city's liabiliry insurance catrier will <br />PaY SI6,625. . .' . ' .:•F. � ;,�; _.. <br />T�e fact remains, however, that the woman was <br />injured wttile � using� .a piece �of cityowned <br />playgcound equipment.wluch was-apparently in <br />- nxd-of repair at the time. SetHng..aside� the <br />� questi:... of -adult use oF equipment primarily <br />.•�=• designedlorchildrm, we wanderhow long the city <br />o: OwaGwna can afford [o provide playground <br />�� equipment tm pu6lic use? �. <br />. Cluldren do get hurt on aur city playgromds I[ <br />��� niay� or may �'rot have-anytlting to� do with"the <br />� wndi4onoftheequipment.Weknowkid5talloutof <br />- swings� fall oft of inerry-go-romdv„occasionally <br />ge[ their Eingen pinched in tee[ervtotteis and all <br />sorfs of olher things.� v-. � ' , <br />Tin.e was when an occasional�injiay, even a <br />broken bone, was-cansidered a mere-childhood <br />experience--a learning�ezperience,�a-growing up <br />even[[hatwasafactoflifeformos[otus. - - <br />But that was beFore attitudes changed. People <br />didn't sue over such things. Md besides, govem- <br />menCenjoyed agreat deal of immunity from such <br />suits. La�s of such immunity is probably more tair <br />in terms of citizens getting just compensation when <br />they have suffered losses or injuries because of <br />0 jack Anderson ' <br />.-�....�n. , <br />, <br />L �,{.- r MA ,ihomp p hl h r_ ���.. <br />�e <br />K E A f I d Ns g;ma ager '£. ' <br />5'nn N Iwn c e lo� on n 3 r <br />) monno�Mnn.55060�`� <br />IT�Y6�0 _i -... �'�"= >�, . <br />`o����? � ` y <br />�� �_� �. x . , <br />�vernment aclion and actrviUes.. - �. <br />, 7'he rLlemma, howeveq �s two-fold F¢st o[ ali, � <br />liability_insurance coverage for city government is _ <br />;skyrocketing in ca.t.- Secoadly, if playground <br />t.equipment injury lawsuits become [oo common; <br />`either � the � liability insurance premiums' vrill <br />` become prohi6itive, or the city will be pressured to <br />! abandon all such playground equipment as [he be3t . ,� <br />( means of eliminating ezpusure to such probiems. � <br />'��: There are those who may swff at such conjecture <br />4asa �esWt of only Ihis recent lawsuit. However, lhe_ _ <br />�city tus already ordered Ihe removal of the so-::� ' <br />� called curly slide at Mineral Springs Park, a high. - <br />rspiral:slide lhat.had been a�Pocal point of tha[:� <br />�playground area for mare than 40 years. That slide. �.� <br />�.was the source of many injuries over the years=._� <br />f�when its condition was not a factor. R represented �' �- <br />�too;big�a-liabifity,to the ciry under present,con- - <br />ditions." . ..' � -; ., ." -:*r=` <br />,"�Ye remind area residents [hat the same tatehas <br />-:6een the lot of trampo]ines: The schoo! distriet has �. � <br />rabandoned use �o[�'�trampolines Por physical ��_ q <br />� education or any other schooFactivity. The reason i <br />;:numerous injuries� and �large insurance claims'�� � �����{ <br />`ihroughom the state, � The � insurance liability ��-gove3 <br />E�ca¢iers told [he dishic[ tha[ unless certain strict attit�. <br />, procedures were followed, and specitied personnel -. �Suprv <br />ton duly, trampoline injury daims would not 6e ���e�O� <br />�covered-by insurance. 7'he-]ceal scherol district;-'fo11or <br />`along with most—it not all-others in the state,� :°srypw <br />'-baaned use of trampulines. : -,(lati� <br />�� �Vill the same thing h�ppen to nll playground �- In <br />�� equipmenl? We Aadt knuw, but frankly, we'rc not ' D��' <br />..optimis[ic. . ...' su. _. <br />9ues� <br />