What happened to Dallin Cunningham? Family files lawsuit against Utah school in 8-year-old's playground slide death

8-year-old Dallin Cunningham's family sued Tooele County School District for a tragic incident in February 2023. Dallin allegedly fell from playground equipment present at Rose Springs Elementary School, which eventually led to his death.

According to the lawsuit, the school district's negligence led to the child's death. The young boy's family is asking to cover the medical expenses that they had to make to treat their son. In Dallin's obituary, his family wrote how heartbroken they were with the sudden death of the child.

---

Rose Springs Elementary School student Dallin Cunningham's family filed a lawsuit against the school district

The incident occurred on February 6, 2023, when 8-year-old Dallin Cunningham fell off a "corkscrew-styled slide" on which he was playing. The child reportedly sustained "severe injuries including fatal blunt trauma to his head" after falling from a height of about 7 feet.

According to the lawsuit, the victim's family filed, Dallin "flew off" on a slide turn. He then fell on a "frozen rock-hard" surface that gave him such grave injuries. The Sacramento Bee reported that the school district authorities have not commented due to the ongoing investigation into the case.

The lawsuit seeks at least $90,000 to cover all the medical expenses and any damage that can be determined when the trial is on. Dallin Cunningham's family has accused the district of being negligent in adequately supervising the playground equipment.

According to the lawsuit, the district also permitted the operation of "unreasonably dangerous" equipment in the school playground. The suit complained about inadequate cushioning and the slide being too fast and circular. The lawsuit has, however, confirmed that the district had covered Dallin's burial expenses.

---

The victim's family believes that the slide was too dangerous and also not well-maintained

The New York Post added further information about the lawsuit filed. According to the lawsuit, they reported that the slide also lacked sufficient safety railings to prevent accidents. The deceased Dallin Cunningham's family attorney, Peter Mifflin, said:

"The best estimate that the police were able to come up with is that the slide is 11 feet tall. His exit from the slide was approximately 7 feet off the ground. In what position he was in, we’re not sure."

Authorities confirmed that Dallin was taken to the Primary Children's Hospital after sustaining severe injuries. Mifflin further spoke about the victim's grieving parents and said:

"They were kind of scared to read the police report."

According to the lawsuit, only one inch of wood chips was present on the hard surface, which wasn't sufficient to cushion the fatal fall. Mifflin added that they believed the school district authorities needed to maintain the property better.

A GoFundMe page has been launched where Dallin has been described as "a rambunctious little 8-year-old." He reportedly loved board games and was a Star Wars fan, too. The family wrote that he was pretty outgoing and had many friends.