FARMINGTON – A Farmington man has filed a suit against the town, claiming his son suffered a broken elbow during a town recreation program two years ago.
Thomas Poulin filed the suit July 16 on behalf of his son, Tyler.
Tyler Poulin was sitting on the railing of the handicapped access ramp at Hippach Field July 19, 2002 when he fell from it after being “jostled by an employee” of the town’s summer recreation program, according to the lawsuit. Tyler, now 10, sustained a fractured elbow, which required surgery.
The lawsuit alleges that the building at Hippach Field, where a majority of the program’s activities occur, is unsuitable “for a group of active and adventurous children of Tyler Poulin’s age.” The ramp “created an obvious and attractive danger to small children spending their day at that building.”
It also claims that Tyler’s pain and distress was worsened by the fact that camp employees did not take him to the hospital or notify his parents until several hours after the incident.
Stephen Shible, director of the town’s recreation program, was not in town the day of the incident but did collect reports from employees and witnesses. He denied the allegation that employees did not contact the child’s parents in a timely fashion.
Shible said his recollection is that the employee involved in the jostling incident was an off-duty lifeguard who remained with the group voluntarily to help escort them to the Narrow Gauge Movie Theater for an afternoon film. The lifeguard had been on duty for a party in the early afternoon but was no longer on paid duty at the time of the incident.
The incident occurred as the children were waiting to leave for the movie.
Shible said Tyler’s mother came to Hippach Field before the group left for the theater, disputing the claim of a delay in notification.
“I’m ultimately responsible and I’m sorry it happened; it was an accident,” he said, adding that he felt that the staff acted responsibly, compassionately and according to their training.
He also questioned the claim that Tyler suffered future physical impairment as a result of the injury.
Shible said he saw Tyler’s name on the roster for Little League Football in the fall after the injury, although he admitted that he did not know whether he actually played. Tyler did, however, participate in the town’s basketball program last winter, he said.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
