Woman To Sue After Her Son Falls 50FT To His Death In L.A Lakers' Arena

A woman whose toddler plunged 50ft to his death after she put him on a ledge to take his photo at a Los Angeles Lakers game is suing the arena where the tragedy occurred.

Two-year-old Lucas Tang fell from the third level top tier of the Staples Center arena after the game on November 21, 2010.
His mother, Hoai Mi Nguyen, is now suing the managers of Staples Center for wrongful death and negligence for an unspecified amount.

It comes even though Nguyen told defense attorneys in a deposition she had put him on the ledge to capture photos of him at the game.

She added that she hadn't worried about placing the boy so close to the drop as fans often sit or stand on the wall, City News Service reported.

With her husband, she was reviewing pictures on their digital camera when they lost track of the boy and began frantically searching for him.

Despite the glass safety barrier running along the ledge, Lucas had fallen from the ledge to the concrete floor below.
Witnesses said the boy was moving his arms, legs and head before paramedics took him out of the arena on a stretcher.

He was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, but later died.

Attorneys for the arena are asking the judge to throw out the case in a hearing on Thursday.

It comes after part of the case has already been dismissed.

The building's architects, NBBJ LP, were excused from the case as the statute of limitations for suing them expired four years after construction.

This means they could only be sued in the years before 2003-2004.

A statement released by the team after the boy's death read: 'The Lakers would like to express our shock and sadness at the death of Lucas Tang.

'To go from a moment of happiness and enjoyment, to the loss of this boy's life, is tragic and heartbreaking.'

Photo Credit To Along Came Mary