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Killjoy? Towns banning sledding to reduce risk

A childhood pastime meets todays legal realities.

By Patricia Harman | Updated on February 05, 2015

Snow days conjure up images of children building snowmen, snow forts and snow angels, followed by hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows. But one childhood tradition could soon be only a pleasant memory as more and more municipalities begin instituting sledding bans because of some recent judgments requiring million-dollar payouts to injured sledders. For example, the county council in Dubuque, Iowa is considering banning sledding in 48 of the city’s 50 parks because of lawsuits brought against other cities.

A five-year-old girl in Omaha, Neb., was paralyzed when she hit a tree while sledding and the city found itself responsible for a $2 million judgment. A man in Sioux City, Iowa, hit a sign and injured his spinal cord, resulting in a $2.75 million payment. Following the blizzard in New England last week, a teen from Long Island was killed while sledding when he hit a light pole and injured his chest and ribs.

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