An incident on a pickleball court has resulted in a woman suing the City of Vancouver for damages and several other reasons, including the “loss of enjoyment of life.”
Sometime in May of this year, Sandra Dueck was using the pickleball courts in Jericho Beach Park when an incident occurred, causing her to be injured.
According to a civil claim document, the courts were multi-purpose, used for tennis and pickleball. At some point in 2022, the south tennis courts were designated for pickleball.
Before May 13, 2023, Vancouver lowered a tennis net in the south court to separate the pickleball courts by around two feet, which left several inches of loose net draped on the court.
On May 13, Dueck was using the south court to play pickleball.
The civil claim says, “She stepped backward to play a shot; her foot stepped on the loose net and slid. She tried to recover using the other foot, but it too slid on the loose net, causing her to fall.”
Dueck’s claim suggests that the City failed to ensure that the pickleball courts were maintained in a way that ensured player safety. The suit also indicated that the loose portion of the net caused a tripping hazard because the City failed to warn users of its risk.
In her claim, Dueck outlines several injuries and the result of those injuries.
Her injuries included a fractured left wrist and bruising.
Because of those injuries, Dueck says she suffered pain, surgical repair, scarring, anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of amenities, loss of housekeeping capacity, increased vulnerability to further injury, loss of income earning capacity, and present and future disability.
As part of her claim, the relief sought included general and special damages, including past and future healthcare costs, interest, and case expenses.
Do you think Dueck had a right to sue the City of Vancouver over this pickleball mishap?