Court says bowling alley not responsible for injury

STERLING HEIGHTS (AP) -- A lawsuit that blamed a Detroit-area bowling alley for a teenager's injury has landed in the gutter.

Then-16-year-old Tyler Gibson was injured during a bowling tournament at Sterling Lanes in Sterling Heights. During his backswing, he slammed his finger into an overhead metal bracket as he prepared to throw the ball. The boy was 6-foot-4.

A lawsuit filed on behalf of Gibson claimed the bar was a dangerous condition that was not open and obvious. But the Michigan appeals court disagreed in a 3-0 decision released Wednesday.

The court says the hazard could have been avoided if Gibson simply had changed his delivery. The court says that other bowlers had done the same.

Published: Fri, Jun 24, 2011