New York City Faces Lawsuit over Kite-Wire Injury

Long popular in South Asia, the sport of “kite fighting” has gained a growing following in the United States as immigrants from the region have taken up the traditional pastime in their adopted country. The sport was also featured in the bestselling novel The Kite Runner.

However, brewing concerns about the safety of kite fighting have been highlighted after a 12-year-old boy was injured by a glass-coated wire that broke free from a kite being used in a public match held in a New York City park. Jared Kopeloff of Flushing, NY was skateboarding when he collided with a floating kite wire that had drifted to the area from a nearby park. The extremely sharp wire slashed the boy’s throat, causing injuries that required nearly 500 stitches to repair. Kopeloff also lost two of his lymph nodes as a result of the incident. The boy’s family has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming that allowing the sport to be carried out in public poses a grave danger to the safety of NYC residents.

Have you or a loved one suffered due to insufficient oversight on the part of a government authority? Contact the attorneys at The Heller Law Firm for a free consultation, or call us direct at 866-461-5791. You will hear from us either the same day or within 24 hours.