Lawsuit Filed Over Cheerleader's Death
Burns Died From Lacerated Spleen
POSTED: 8:44 am EDT October 21,
2008
UPDATED: 5:48 pm EDT October 21,
2008
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BOSTON -- Three years after the death of a teenage cheerleader, her mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Tewksbury gym.
Cheerleader's Mom Files Wrongful Death Suit NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross reported that Ashley Burns' mother said she's been living her "worst nightmare" and she wants to find out who's responsible for the incident that took her daughter from her.Ashley Burns, 14, died from a lacerated spleen in August 2005 after performing a routine cheerleading stunt at the East Elite Cheer Gym."They left her alone for too long and she died from internal injuries. If they had had an emergency plan in place, if they had had minimum safety standards applicable across the board to all other sports, she would be alive today," attorney Robert Bonsignore said.Ruth Burns' lawsuit names the gym, the cheerleading federation and coaches. She said she hopes the lawsuit will lead to new national safety standards for cheerleaders."I want to see changes, definitely. I want people who were there to be responsible for what happened instead of passing it off to somebody else," Burns said.The Tewksbury gym did not comment.
Cheerleader's Mom Files Wrongful Death Suit NewsCenter 5's Pam Cross reported that Ashley Burns' mother said she's been living her "worst nightmare" and she wants to find out who's responsible for the incident that took her daughter from her.Ashley Burns, 14, died from a lacerated spleen in August 2005 after performing a routine cheerleading stunt at the East Elite Cheer Gym."They left her alone for too long and she died from internal injuries. If they had had an emergency plan in place, if they had had minimum safety standards applicable across the board to all other sports, she would be alive today," attorney Robert Bonsignore said.Ruth Burns' lawsuit names the gym, the cheerleading federation and coaches. She said she hopes the lawsuit will lead to new national safety standards for cheerleaders."I want to see changes, definitely. I want people who were there to be responsible for what happened instead of passing it off to somebody else," Burns said.The Tewksbury gym did not comment. Copyright 2008 by TheBostonChannel.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
