Injured Little League player will experience long-term effects from fall: Family’s attorney
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The attorney for the Utah Little League player who was critically injured in August in a fall from an upper bunk at the world series complex in South Williamsport said the boy will experience long-term effects from his injuries, according to a report on PennLive.com.
It had been months since Easton Oliverson's family had posted any updates about his condition on Facebook, but the attorney, Ken Fulginiti provided the following information to PennLive:
"By all accounts, Easton's parents were told on the date of the incident that Easton would not survive the surgery. They were literally told he had a zero percent chance of recovery.
"The Oliversons, who are very spiritual people, gathered in prayer for Easton and he did survive. He has had a total of three craniotomies.
"So, while they are blessed to have him to celebrate his 13th birthday, which happens to be today, and he is doing markedly better than the alternative, he will have issues the remainder of his life."
Easton suffered a fractured skull early on Aug. 15 when he fell out of his top bunk in the dorm where the Snow Canyon all-stars from Santa Clara, Utah, were staying. He underwent surgery at Geisinger Medical Center near Danville before being transferred in late August to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. He went home in mid-September, according to the PennLive story.
The Oliversons sued Little League and John Savoy and Son Inc., manufacturer of the bunk bed, accusing them both of negligence for not having railings on the upper bunks to prevent falls. The lawsuit is currently in the Philadelphia common pleas court, although both Little League and Savoy, which does business as Savoy Contract Furniture, want the suit either dismissed or transferred to Lycoming County.
Immediately after the incident, Little League moved the upper bunk frames to the floor throughout International Grove where the teams and coaching staffs stay during the series, according to the PennLive account.
Adam Savoy, the firm's vice president, previously said the company's standard operating procedure when quoting single beds that have bunking capability includes this alert: "For Safety and Fall Prevention, Savoy Strongly Recommends the Use of Guard Rails and Ladders when Beds are Bunked or Lofted."
Two warning labels are affixed to each bed recommending the use of guard rails and ladders to any bed bunked or lofted, he said.
In the fifth amended complaint filed in March, PennLive reported that the Oliversons claimed Little League was aware of 12 other such falls from upper bunks dating back to 2005.
Little League declined comment on that allegation.
Easton's father, who was a coach on the team, also seeks damages for himself on the ground of negligent infliction of emotional distress. Although he did not witness the fall, he saw his son in pain on the floor, PennLive reported.
Little League contends Jace Oliverson is not entitled to damages, citing a state Superior Court ruling that states although parents who do not witness the accident may suffer emotional distress when they learn of their child's injuries, it is not compensable, PennLive reported.
PennLive's account also stated that Easton's uncle Derek Oliverson said that Easton's younger brother, Brogan, was added to the world series roster to take his brother's roster space.