Mother sues ESL District 189 after daughter hurt on laser tag field trip

A St. Clair County mother is suing a Belleville business and East St. Louis School District 189 after her daughter was allegedly hurt during a game of laser tag.

LaShawndra Tidwell filed the suit on behalf of herself and her daughter, Jameela Tidwell, against Dahm & Schell Inc. and the school district in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The complaint was not stamped with a filing date or case number.

Dahm & Schell Inc. own and operate The Edge on South Belt West in Belleville. Tidwell says her daughter was at The Edge on June 4 playing laser tag when her leg was severely cut by a nail protruding from the wall.

Tidwell argues the owners of The Edge were negligent for failing to inspect and maintain the property, failing to warn patrons of possible dangers and failing to take steps to ensure laser tag players avoided the protruding nail.

Because Tidwell's daughter was at The Edge as part of a Bush Elementary School field trip, she says the East St. Louis School District is equally negligent. She says the district should not have allowed students to play in an area that was unsafe, defective or dangerous.

Tidwell is suing each defendant for a minimum of $100,000 in damages for medical expenses, disability, pain and suffering.

Attorneys Thomas C. Rich and Kristina D. Cooksey of Fairview Heights are representing Tidwell.