Nebraska Family Files Wrongful Death Suit
A Nebraska family is suing the Omaha Housing Authority due to the death of their 7-year-old son. The boy died when a tree limb fell on him. The family is suing for $3 million arguing that the Housing Authority failed to make the area safe for children.
Williams was playing outside his home when a tree limb fell on top of him and killed him. The family argues that the Housing Authority failed to warn them of any potentially dangerous conditions in the area. According to a previous report on the website, the tree branch fell from a 75-foot tree and caused critical injuries. Reports stated that the tree was supposed to be removed on Sunday.
The housing authority may be liable because they are responsible for maintaining safe conditions. The fact that crews were waiting until the end of the week to remove the tree could potentially be viewed as a factor that caused the accident. However, this incident could also be looked at as a complete accident that nobody is at fault for simply because nobody directly caused the break in the tree branch causing it to fall. There is no way to control a situation like this except if the housing authority was well aware of the condition of the tree. If they were aware that the tree branch could have fallen, the housing authority could have been held at fault for the accident.
For more information on premises liability issues, visit Solomon & Relihan.
