A mother is suing Dunedin Highland Middle School because her daughter hurt herself jumping hurdles.
Darlene Echevarria is seeking damages for past and future medical bills, pain and suffering and “loss of capacity for the enjoyment of life” to the tune of $200,000.
Echevarria’s daughter, Amber, suffered a torn ACL and a fractured bone after being instructed to jump hurdles during her physical education class. According to the lawsuit Amber got caught on one of the hurdles and “fell hard.”
Echevarria alleges her daughter had never jumped hurdles before and wasn’t given proper instructions on how to warm up and stretch. She also says her daughter was not shown the “correct technique for the trail leg, arm positions, and/or running form” and her jumps were not properly supervised.
The allegations against the P.E. instructor, Harold Walker, also include improper setup of the hurdles.
Though Walker is named in the suit, Echevarria is seeking damages from the Pinellas County School Board.
The injury occurred last October. Amber Echevarria was 11 years old at the time of the incident. She is now 12.
Echevarria is represented by the law firm Roman & Roman, where the elder Echevarria works as a legal assistant.
The lawsuit was filed on April 22. In it the plaintiff suggests the injury may have resulted in the aggravation of a previous condition. It’s not clear whether Amber Echevarria had a previous condition or whether she was fit to participate in this activity.
The girl’s Facebook page shows several photos posted recently where she appears to be in good health. She doesn’t appear to be wearing any kind of cast or brace for her injuries.
According to WebMD, recovery times for ACL surgery vary by person, but typically it takes about four to six months to return to normal activity. Echevarria’s injury is well outside that time frame.
