The Carroll Community School District (CCSD) Board of Education voted at last night’s (Monday) meeting to accept a settlement proposal from their insurance company concerning an ongoing negligence lawsuit. On March 4, 2016, Stefanie Wiegmann, a social worker, tripped on uneven pavement and broke her ankle while leaving Adams Elementary School. She filed a petition in March 2018 in District Court for Carroll County that claims the school is liable for her injuries due to their failure to repair the damaged sidewalk. School officials entered closed session for approximately 20 minutes to discuss the potential settlement. They unanimously approved the agreement after returning to open session. Board Member, Brad Jorgensen, said they can only provide very limited details until the lawsuit has been dismissed.
While the board needed to approve the agreement’s language, the terms it contained were generated by their insurance provider. The board indicated their liability policy would cover the settlement and will not be required to pull from any district funds. Director of Business Affairs, Gary Bengtson, also noted the cracked and deteriorating pavement referred to in the lawsuit has been addressed.
The issue was originally scheduled to go to trial on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Wiegmann was seeking unspecified damages for past and future medical expenses, loss of body, pain and suffering, lost wages and any additional damages that may have occurred.
