Playground Injury May Prompt Lawsuit

By Richard Seward

Published on July 10, 2007

The parents of Alex Ranasinghe claim that last October while their 9-year-old-son was playing on the playground at Mead Elementary School, he suffered severe head trauma after he tripped on an unmarked retaining wall and fell onto nearby asphalt. According to the parents and their attorney, the accident could have been avoided if the wall had been painted a bright color.

The fall caused the boy to lose consciousness, and according to the parents, produced permanent brain injury. They cited their son’s diminished reading ability as evidence of the severity of the injury.

In response to the potential legal action, Scott Carlson, one of the playground builders, described the pending litigation as “frivolous,” commenting that that there are no current requirements to paint playground retaining walls.

The notice filed by the Ranasinghes indicates their intent to seek $10 million on behalf of their son from the St. Vrain Valley Re-1J School District and the playground’s builders.

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