PHILADELPHIA – A first-grade student who was allegedly run over by girls twice her age participating in a track practice and suffered a traumatic brain injury in the process has had a lawsuit brought in her name by her mother, who witnessed the incident.
Minor K.B. and her mother Shakiah Washington of Philadelphia filed suit in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas on Jan. 7 versus Girls On The Run Philadelphia, also of Philadelphia.
“The incident which is the subject of this complaint occurred on or about Oct. 19, 2016 at approximately 3:05/3:10 p.m. at the playground/recess-yard/schoolyard of the Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School, located at 2220 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Specifically, the area of the playground nearest the corner of 23rd and Chestnuts streets, by the school entrance/exit where the first-grade students were dismissed from school in October of 2016,” according to the lawsuit.
At that time, Girls On The Run was conducting its track practice in the Greenfield School’s recess yard. Though prior to the subject incident, the group would wait until the school’s students were dismissed before beginning their practice, they allegedly did not do so on Oct. 19, 2016. As a result, the practice started and a group of middle-school girls were participating in sprinting and racing drills, when they allegedly collided with K.B., knocking her to the ground and seriously injuring her.
K.B. sustained a left temporal bone fracture with pneumocephalus, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral contusions with subarachnoid blood (brain bleed), concussion, post-concussion syndrome, post-traumatic stress and other injuries and damages.
The plaintiffs allege the defendant’s negligence in failing to separate the practice participants from the students caused the accident, failing to notify those present of the impending practice and being otherwise careless, reckless and/or negligent.
For two counts of negligence, the plaintiff is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus interest, costs and delay damages under Pa.R.C.P. 238.
The plaintiffs are represented by John F. Rooney of The Law Office of John F. Rooney, in Philadelphia.
The defendant is represented by Andrew L. Riemenschneider of The Gaffney Law Firm, also in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 180903281
From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nick.malfitano@therecordinc.com