Lawsuit: Netting fails to protect child from high-speed ball at family entertainment center

A mother is suing a company over claims a ball propelled inside its play area struck and injured her daughter.

Julie C. Hood, individually and on behalf of her minor daughter, filed a premises liability suit Dec. 30, 2014, in Cook County Circuit Court against Under The Big Top Inc.

According to the complaint, Hood's daughter was at Under the Big Top-- a family entertainment center in St. Charles with laser tag, go karts and arcade games -- on March 1, 2014, when she was on or near the "Ballocity" interactive attraction.

Hood claims a ball propelled through an opening in the netting and struck her daughter at a high speed, causing injuries. She accuses the defendant of failing to provide adequate netting and prevent high-speed balls from hitting patrons of the attraction.

She is seeking more than $50,000 in damages and is represented by Tracy A. Gibbons and Kevin P. Durkin of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago.

Cook County Circuit Court case number: 2014L013422.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.