Raging Rivers near Grafton
Raging Rivers Water Park and the designer of the Space Bowl ride are being sued in Madison County by a mother and her child who sustained face, mouth, gum and teeth injuries at the Grafton park two years ago.
Wendy V. Kerr alleges that the ride's designer, Strurart-Leisure Ltd., based in the United Kingdom, "failed to construct the amusement ride in such a manner as to avoid teeth from catching on seams or lips of the surface of the ride while patrons traversed the base of the ride."
Her son Gage A. Kerr was injured in 2006, according to the complaint filed June 13 in Madison County Circuit Court. The exact date is not named in the complaint.
Represented by Thomas G. Maag of Wendler Law in Edwardsville, Kerr is seeking in excess of $200,000 in damages plus costs.
She claims Raging Rivers failed to prevent patrons from becoming ensnared within the water slide.
"Defendant failed to adequately warn of known dangers of patrons hitting their heads as they made their transition from the flume to the bowl on the amusement ride, despite having 'some concern for our younger clientele' because of children 'repeatedly bumping their heads'," the complaint states.
Kerr claims the ride was unreasonably dangerous.
"Defendant failed to construct the amusement ride in such a manner as to avoid causing patrons' heads from being thrown backwards suddenly when a change in inertia occurs because of the change in radius from the entry tube bend into the radius of the bowl itself," the complaint states.