Blame Misplaced in Girl’s Mauling by Mountain Lion
Re: “Girl Is Awarded $2 Million for Mauling” (Aug. 24): Certainly everyone regrets that Laura Small was mauled, blinded and partially paralyzed by a mountain lion five years ago at Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, but to find that the county was negligent in not warning the public about a possible mountain lion attack and to award her, her mother and her lawyer more than $2 million is absolutely absurd.
It seems to me that when one chooses to visit a wilderness park that one assumes the risk of being bitten by a snake, spider, rodent, fox, raccoon, mountain lion or whatever might exist in the wilderness.
Is it the county’s/people’s responsibility to clearly spell out every risk that might exist in such a situation? I think not, but if the jury in the Laura Small case truly reflects the thinking of most people, Orange County’s cost to operate parks such as Ronald W. Caspers has just escalated substantially.
J.L. DAMPMAN, Seal Beach
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