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Man who fell off cliff sues Georgetown (TX) - Lawsuit says city lacked warning signs
Austin American-Statesman ^ | Wednesday, August 30, 2006 | Katie Humphrey

Posted on 08/30/2006 7:39:23 AM PDT by WestTexasWend

A man who fell off a cliff and tumbled into Georgetown's Blue Hole Park has sued the city, saying there should have been warning signs at the edge of the drop-off.

Jason Stanford, of Thomasville, N.C., slipped and fell off the cliff in front of the Holiday Inn on San Gabriel Village Boulevard on March 16, according to the lawsuit. City officials had previously said the fall occurred about 1:30 a.m. on March 17.

Stanford fractured his leg, ankle and lower back, his attorney Mike Marbut said. Stanford had some beer, but was not drinking at the time of the fall, Marbut said.

The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in the 26th District Court in Williamson County, seeks unspecified monetary damages to cover, among other things, medical bills and lost wages.

Stanford, who delivers furniture, hasn't been able to work since the incident, Marbut said.

Stanford was making a call on his cell phone when he fell about 40 feet over the cliff, city spokesman Keith Hutchinson said in March. Stanford then called 911 on his cell phone and was rescued by firefighters who paddled across the San Gabriel River in a canoe and rappelled down the cliff, Hutchinson said.

There should have been warning signs and a fence to prevent people from approaching the cliff, Marbut said.

"The city could have prevented it with minimal expenditures," he said.

Hutchinson said Tuesday that city officials were aware of the lawsuit but declined to comment further.

There was one sign along the cliff at the time of the fall and more have been installed since then, he said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: North Carolina; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: dumba; litigious; nannystate; suehappy
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1 posted on 08/30/2006 7:39:25 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
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To: WestTexasWend
There should have been warning signs and a fence to prevent people from approaching the cliff, Marbut said.

We need fences lining all our highways to prevent people from approaching them. Trucks and cars are dangerous.

2 posted on 08/30/2006 7:40:49 AM PDT by Uncledave
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To: WestTexasWend
Its amazing people blame society for their own stupidity.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo! )

3 posted on 08/30/2006 7:41:23 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: WestTexasWend

If you can't walk and talk on the cell phone at the same time without walking off a cliff, then maybe multi-tasking isn't one of your strong suits.


4 posted on 08/30/2006 7:41:33 AM PDT by VRWCmember
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To: WestTexasWend

If he couldn't see a CLIFF, how was he going to see a SIGN? :)


5 posted on 08/30/2006 7:41:39 AM PDT by linda_22003
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To: WestTexasWend

I am just tired of stupidity being rewarded with large cash awards........


6 posted on 08/30/2006 7:41:55 AM PDT by joe fonebone (Israel, taking out the world's trash since 1948.)
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To: linda_22003

Lol!


7 posted on 08/30/2006 7:42:10 AM PDT by MaryFromMichigan
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To: goldstategop

How about... Warning, Gravity at work!


8 posted on 08/30/2006 7:42:15 AM PDT by fourmation599 (Infidel is in the eye of the beholder)
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To: WestTexasWend
We often hang out at the North San Gabriel river crossing on Hwy 183. It has a nice rope swing, and some stone jetties to keep the lil' tikes from floating down the river.

I get to 4x4 my jeep down there too :)

9 posted on 08/30/2006 7:42:35 AM PDT by lormand (Nuke the Islamic States, or kiss your @55 goodbye)
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To: WestTexasWend
Stanford was making a call on his cell phone . . .
10 posted on 08/30/2006 7:42:45 AM PDT by sportutegrl (A person is a person, no matter how small. (Dr. Seuss))
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To: WestTexasWend

He held on to his cell phone for the entire 40 foot drop? Dang...maybe they should put warning on cell phones so people won't talk on them as they are approaching a cliff.


11 posted on 08/30/2006 7:42:46 AM PDT by truthluva ("Character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking" - JC Watts + Arbua is a cesspool)
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To: WestTexasWend

Stupid drunk walks off cliff at 1:30 in the morning, sues town.


12 posted on 08/30/2006 7:42:51 AM PDT by wideawake ("The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten." - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: WestTexasWend

So, what would the environmentalists have to say, if the lawyers force us to fence off all the cliffs and gullies in the U.S. and put up warning signs every few feet in every wilderness area?

Who knows? They might like it, if it were also required to put up more signs, "Warning, don't step on the endangered species."


13 posted on 08/30/2006 7:43:06 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: linda_22003

I guess that's why they need a sign AND a fence.


14 posted on 08/30/2006 7:43:41 AM PDT by truthluva ("Character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking" - JC Watts + Arbua is a cesspool)
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To: WestTexasWend

He should just sue the planet Earth for having the cliff right where he was walking. Damn you, Earth, see you in court!


15 posted on 08/30/2006 7:44:20 AM PDT by Darkwolf377
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To: WestTexasWend

A Darwin award winner cut his head off with a chainsaw while drunk. I'm certain there weren't ant labels on that chainsaw that stated specifically not to cut your head off with it.


16 posted on 08/30/2006 7:44:47 AM PDT by Brett66 (Where government advances – and it advances relentlessly – freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
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To: WestTexasWend
"The city could have prevented it with minimal expenditures," he said.

The plaintiff could have prevented it with minimal thought!

Buh-bye. Next case?

17 posted on 08/30/2006 7:44:53 AM PDT by TChris (Banning DDT wasn't about birds. It was about power.)
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To: WestTexasWend
Stanford had some beer,....

[snip]

Stanford was making a call on his cell phone when he fell about 40 feet over the cliff....

And the city is at fault?

18 posted on 08/30/2006 7:45:53 AM PDT by The_Victor (If all I want is a warm feeling, I should just wet my pants.)
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To: WestTexasWend
the fall occurred about 1:30 a.m. on March 17.

Stanford was making a call on his cell phone when he fell about 40 feet over the cliff

Talking on a cell phone, wandering around the park in the dark...definitely someone else's fault.

19 posted on 08/30/2006 7:46:06 AM PDT by Semi Civil Servant (Colorado: the original Red State.)
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To: WestTexasWend
Thought NC had become less of an idiot magnet. it is unbelievable what people try to blame others for.

At 1:30 am, would you think the fellow might had been out on the town with a couple drinks in him? So, at night, etc., early morning, not blind and no flashlight, but it's the cities fault, Gesssshhhhhh

20 posted on 08/30/2006 7:46:13 AM PDT by RSmithOpt (Liberalism: Highway to Hell)
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