Lawsuit filed against Kroc Center over girl's injuries

COEUR d’ALENE — A Coeur d’Alene family is suing the Salvation Army and the Ray and Joan Kroc Corp. Community Center for a June accident right outside the facility’s double doors that left a girl’s lip cut and teeth damaged.

Billie and Suzanne Henderson filed suit with their minor daughter seeking relief for at least $10,000 plus attorney fees in 1st District Court on Tuesday.

The plaintiffs claim that when the mother and daughter were leaving the health and fitness center around a month after its grand opening, the girl’s flip-flop caught on a metal grate and caused her to fall face first on the metal grate walkway.

The spill was caused by negligence from the center’s operation and maintenance, the suit states.

“Defendants’ negligence, in addition to the injury to (the girl) inflicted emotional distress to her mother and family who witnessed the gory injury,” the suit states.

The girl received seven stitches for her lip, after her parents took her to Kootenai Medical Center.

The metal grate may have been a temporary device used prior to completion of the center’s construction, and the center’s negligence stems from not placing orange cones, caution signs or other warnings signs at the front area despite being aware of previous trippings, the suit alleges.

Neither the Kroc Center nor the Henderson’s attorney, R.D. Watson, returned phone messages Friday.