Politics & Government
Ping-Pong Injury Claims Cause Changes at Community Center
The Mission Viejo City Council rejects two claims filed over incidents at the Norman P. Murray Community Center. Now players have to sign waivers.
Who knew that ping-pong could be a dangerous sport?
Two claims against the city of Mission Viejo for ping-pong related injuries that occurred in the Norman P. Murray Community Center earlier this year showed up on the Dec. 6 City Council agenda.
On his claim form, Del Weisz wrote: "On Jan. 15, 2010, I was playing regularly-scheduled table tennis with a group of players at two tables provided by the Community Center in the Hibiscus room. I moved to the right to hit a ball, tripped and fell, and hit my head full force on the side of the pool table also in the room."
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According to the same form, Weisz was admitted to the emergency room at for tests and a CAT scan following his fall. He was diagnosed with a concussion. Blood had collected on the surface of his brain, the results suggested.
Weisz was in the neurological intensive care unit with constant monitoring for two days, and had a restriction on driving when released.
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His claim was filed July 9, 2010, for an amount of $36,192.48 plus any future charges related to the incident. The city denied his claim.
Included in his claim were several letters written in 2008 requesting a bigger room for ping-pong.
Alice "Bobbie" Thomson also said she was injured playing ping-pong at the community center. According to her claim, she was injured April 5, 2010, when her shoe caught on a sticky substance while playing ping-pong. The claim says she tripped and fell forward, fracturing her right wrist and injuring her eye, which later required surgery.
Thomson alleges on her claim form that the city failed to warn her about the dangerous condition in the ping-pong room. Her claim was filed Oct. 1 and asked for $22,683.88, plus any additional charges related to the incident.
Both of the claims were rejected unanimously in a 5-0 vote by the City Council.
Renee Beach, the city's community services manager, said she could not discuss the incidents.
"Given the pending claims against the city, we have been informed that we are not at liberty to discuss this item," she said.
Assistant City Manager Irwin Bornstein said at the meeting that players must now sign waivers and must register to use the tables. A pool table was also moved to protect players from injury.
