A tragic accident in an Alabama airport has claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy and badly injured his mother and two of his brothers. According to the Associated Press/Yahoo News, the accident happened Friday when a 300-pound arrival-departure panel fell away from the wall and landed on top of five members of the Bresette family, including 5th grader Luke who apparently died at the scene. His mother, Heather Bresette, suffered critical injuries including broken ankles and a crushed pelvis. Two of the other children, 5-year-old Tyler and 8-year-old Sam suffered broken bones and a concussion.
Cause of the Accident
While the precise cause of the accident remains under investigation, from the video of the scene and the interview of at least one witness, it appears the 300-plus-pound display was not secured to the wall. The frayed cords can be seen behind the panel, but there is no evidence of mounting brackets or other hardware intended to hold the display in place. It is unknown what might have begun this tragic event, but one thing appears fairly certain: mounting hardware would have prevented this dangerously heavy board from falling onto an innocent family.
Preventing Tip-Over Accidents
By way of analogy, falling televisions and furniture injure about 43,000 people each year and most of the victims are children, according to a CBS news report citing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In 2011, a record 41 tip-over fatalities occurred here in the United States. The majority of the accidents involved televisions that were not secured via a proper stand or anchoring device. It is a virtual certainty that screens/displays like the one involved in the accident above, will be touched intentionally or inadvertently bumped, especially in a busy airport. This tragic accident seems so senseless and so easily avoidable. For the cost of a few metal brackets and screws, the Bresette family could have been spared this devastating loss.
If you or a family member have been injured or killed because of a dangerous condition on someone else's property, a premises liability attorney can provide valuable assistance. While perfect justice cannot be delivered, holding negligent business operators accountable and securing fair compensation is often the best we can hope to achieve.
SOURCE: Mom of boy killed by Ala. airport sign unconscious, March 25, 2013, by Kathy Wingard, Associated Press
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