Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The exposed mechanisms of a coin operated washing machine at a local laundromat caused injury to a young child in 2014. The family, now living in Minnesota, was awarded a settlement for the accident.
Mathew and Waneta Scott, formally of Kimball, received a $185,000 insurance settlement from a local business, following a claim filed in Woods County, Minn. District Court.
The claim stated the business, which was up for sale at that time, was liable for a January 22, 2014 accident involving the couple's then two-year-old son, who suffered a partial amputation of his thumb and three fingers.
Owners of the Suds & Mugs at the Wooden Tub laundromat, K&N Partners of Kimball, failed to install an inexpensive and effective guard on the back of its coin-operated washing machines, according to the Scotts's attorney, Andrew Snyder of the Chaloupka, Holyoke, Snyder Law firm of Scottsbluff.
"No one can watch her child 100 percent of the time, and especially when the reason they are in a laundromat is to do laundry," Snyder said. "Even adults can bump or slip into this hazard, even when using all reasonable care. This settlement recognizes that laundromats may not save money at their paying customers' expense by cutting corners on safety."
The Suds & Mugs business was purchased by Nate and Heather Entingh in August 2014 and was re-named "Beer & Loathing."
The new owners made a lot of necessary repairs and updates to the business after the purchase.
"We took it upon ourselves to update, upgrade and redo both the bar and laundromat in an effort to make sure that our patrons, as well as our employees, were safe," Heather said. "These things were done only after we signed papers and had purchased both businesses. As far as pricing, all Nate and I will say is that these upgrades doubled and then some the original cost of the purchase. Nate and I take everyone's safety seriously, and any suggestions by the public about either business will be greatly considered."
Snyder added that the young boy is doing well, and living with his family in Minnesota.
"This settlement should encourage any business with this type of machinery to protect it from the public. It was completely unguarded with four or five machines and the sprockets and chains were fully exposed."