FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ROCK FALLS, ILLINOIS – June 17, 2025 – Meyers & Flowers trial attorneys Craig D. Brown, James A. McPhedran, and Christopher J. Warmbold have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a teenage track athlete who suffered catastrophic injuries while participating in a high school track meet at a local indoor track complex. The lawsuit alleges that the Sterling Park District, Sterling High School, and Rock Falls High School all failed to address known safety hazards that ultimately led to the student’s life-altering injuries.
The incident occurred during warmups for the triple jump event in March 2025, when the teen athlete tripped on uneven sand in the triple jump pit and collided head-first into a nearby wall. The impact caused catastrophic spinal injuries. Despite prior knowledge of the dangerous layout of the triple jump pit which was in violation of applicable safety standards, no corrective action was taken by the Defendants responsible for the facility’s design, maintenance, and oversight during track and field events.
According to the complaint, the triple jump pit was dangerously located less than five feet from a wall, despite the National Federation of State High School Associations and Illinois High School Association having updated their safety standards in 2020 to require longer and safer pit designs. It is further alleged that the pit’s proximity to the wall and other dangerous obstructions, the failure to properly maintain the landing surface, and the inadequate protective measures were all well-known risks that had been ignored.
“The dangers associated with this facility were not hypothetical. The risks were visible, repeated, and completely preventable,” said Partner Craig Brown of Meyers & Flowers. “Our client is now left to deal with a life-altering injury because the responsible parties chose to do nothing.”
The complaint names the Sterling Park District, Sterling Community Unit School District #5, and Rock Falls Township High School District #301 as defendants, alleging willful and wanton conduct.
Attorney James McPhedran of Meyers & Flowers emphasized the broader implications of the case: “This isn’t just about one facility or one track meet. It underscores the duty that schools and park districts have to protect the safety of the young people who depend on them. Ignoring clear safety standards can never become an acceptable practice.”
Attorney Christopher Warmbold added, “Athletes, coaches, and parents have the right to expect that athletic facilities comply with established safety standards governing their use. Our firm is dedicated to ensuring these institutions are held accountable so that preventable incidents like this do not occur in the future.”
Meyers & Flowers will continue to fight on behalf of the injured student and his family as they seek justice for the failures that led to this devastating injury.
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Led by Illinois Top 100 Super Lawyer and former President of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, Peter J. Flowers, the Meyers & Flowers’ team of experienced trial attorneys routinely take on large challenges and succeed. For more than two decades, the firm has represented clients both locally in Chicago and nationally in a full spectrum of cases involving catastrophic personal injuries, sexual abuse, medical malpractice, product liability and corporate litigation. Contact us today at 630-576-9696 for your free, no obligation case evaluation or click here.