California City Seeks Liability Limit in Death of Young Lifeguard

An insurance company has asked a federal court to limit liability by the city of Huntington Beach in the death of an 11-year-old girl who was killed during a junior lifeguard drill.

Attorneys with Navigator’s Insurance filed a petition last week, arguing that federal admiralty law limits the city’s liability to the value of the boat, which in this incident is $26,100.

Family attorney Gary Chambers issued a news release calling the company’s petition a “wasteful legal intimidation tactic” and says admiralty law does not apply to this situation.

Allysa Squirrel was killed July 14, 2009, when she was struck by a boat while training to be a lifeguard.

Her family has sued the city, claiming wrongful death caused by negligence.