Family's lawsuit claims giant slide on Belle Isle left their kids concussed

A lawsuit was filed by a Metro Detroit mom claiming her two children were injured on last summer's giant slide on Belle Isle.

The mom alleges that last August her then-8 and 10-year-old kids went airborne on the ride and hit their heads as they landed on the steel slide.

"Unfortunately both kids suffered from concussions and they have sustained serious side effects from this such as poor concentration, and headaches, and their inability to continue playing sports," said Kara Weisman, attorney Vahdat Weismann PLLC.

The lawyers representing don’t want to identify the family to protect their privacy. They say the family filed the lawsuit in hopes that others don’t face the same trauma.

"We don’t know what the city or DNR has done to the slide during this off-period of time," said Raquel Munoz, an associate attorney. "So before they reopen, we want to make sure that the slide is going to be safe and hopefully by filing this lawsuit, it will alert them that they need to re-look at the slide."

The lawsuit claims the park knew people using the slide were at risk.

"Because before they opened the park, their employees were riding it and the employees were being projected up and down," Munoz said.

The lawsuit is against the City of Detroit, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the park, and its manager, and any others who might be responsible.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources had no comment

The City of Detroit responded with the statement saying: "The law department is going to request that the city be removed from this lawsuit because the city location does not operate Belle Isle or the giant slide."

Munoz disagrees.

"The city of Detroit owns Belle Isle, they had a contract with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources a few years ago. For them to manage the park," she said.

But some are asking if the parents bear any responsibility for allowing their kids to ride the big slide, and if was there any signage informing parents that there could be a risk involved.

"That’s one of the things that we’ve alleged in our complaint," Munoz said. "We don’t know if signage was posted up there and if the proper signage was posted up there. We know that after they reopened, they started instructing the riders on how to properly ride."

The lawsuit is asking for monetary relief.

"The lawsuit is alleging $25,000 or over, at least that amount," Munoz said. "There has been medical bills that have come up  as a result of this, they want treatment for the children because they still are receiving and wanting treatment."