CHARLESTON — A parent is suing the city of Nitro for her minor child's injuries from a bike accident.
Laura McGill's child, M.G., was at Ridenour Lake and Park with a friend on July 3, 2020, riding bikes at the Bike Skills Park when M.G. was thrown out of control and toward a creek bed, according to a complaint filed in Kanawha Circuit Court.
McGill claims M.G. fell into rocks, concrete and rubble and was injured and transported to Charleston Area Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
M.G. suffered a lacerated kidney and spleen in the crash and while she was at CAMC, her injuries got worse and she was taken to Columbus Nationwide Children's Hospital for approximately two weeks with fluid in her lungs and pancreatitis.
The minor also had to undergo surgical interventions for her injuries, according to the suit.
McGill claims M.G. continues to suffer from the residual effects of the injuries and is at risk for continued infection and is required to take daily medications, including antibiotics.
An expert evaluation of the Bike Skills Park at Ridenour Lake & Park revealed several deficiencies, including the area where M.G. was injured not being built to accepted industry standards and poor quality of the park, according to the suit.
"The City chose not to install fencing or other safety materials to prevent a rider from careening off the lip of the drop-off into the rocks and concrete rubble," the complaint states.
McGill claims fencing was installed immediately after M.G.'s accident. She claims M.G. incurred $235,000 in medical bills from the incident and has permanent surgical scarring and psychological residual issues.
McGill is seeking compensatory damages. She is represented by Bernard E. Layne III and Jonathan R. Mani.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Kenneth Ballard.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 22-C-214