Utah parents SUE the Little League after their son fell off a bunk bed resulting in serious injury

The parents of a 13 year old boy who suffered catastrophic injuries when he fell from a bunk bed at a Little League dormitory have spoken for the first time about their family’s ordeal – and why they’re suing over the ‘100% preventable’ incident.

Last summer, then-12-year-old Easton – who was part of Utah‘s first ever Little League World Series team – fell out of his bunk bed while sleeping in the team dormitories in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Speaking to ABC’s ‘Good Morning America‘ for the first time since the fall, Nancy and Jace Oliverson say that the accident was caused by ‘gross neglect’. 

After the fall, Easton was rushed to the hospital where he underwent emergency surgery as doctors diagnosed him with a fractured skull and an epidural hematoma.

Surgeons thought he had next to no chance of living, but their fast actions saved Easton’s life. He is now currently continuing his rehabilitation but faces a significant road to recovery.

The parents of 13-year-old Easton Oliverson filed suit against the Little League in September

They say ‘gross neglect’ is what led to their son’s fall off a bunk bed last year, resulting in a traumatic brain injury that put his life in danger at the Little League World Series

After three brain surgeries and countless hours in the hospital and rehab, Easton is recovering

On GMA, Jace shared the moment he was woken up by his son’s coach telling him what happened. 

‘So I sit him down and right when I sat him down, instantly, that sweet boy lost all ability to do any simple commands like, ‘Easton, sit up straight, Easton, open your eyes,” Jace Oliverson said.

At the hospital, Jace said a doctor told him that Easton had a zero percent chance to live, saying to him, ‘Dad you need to give your son a kiss goodbye. He is in serious critical condition.’

Jace continued: ‘I didn’t know if that was the last time I would see him alive, or what. ‘They told me Easton had a 20 percent chance to live. They said at max, 15-20 minutes (later), surgery would have been pointless.’

The Oliversons filed a lawsuit against Little League Baseball Inc. in September of 2022, claiming litigation discovered a long history of falls from bunk beds in the dorms dating back to at least 2005.

Jace said another parent reached out and told him ‘there was another little boy in 2019 that suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury) and because of a bunk bed, and not taking the safety precautions.’

Ken Fulginiti, an attorney representing the parents says that the bunk beds had no rails on them – adding that there was ‘no reason’ that should be the case. 

‘All we’ve been through and it was 100% preventable,’ Nancy Oliverson said. ‘Kids are falling out of the top bunks of the bunk beds and they may not have been as serious injuries as Easton suffered, but they were orthopedic injuries, they were concussions, they were things like that,’ Fulginiti said.

Easton was released from hospital in August and released a video on the ‘Miracles for Tank’ Instagram page, raising awareness of his condition, which said: ‘Hi everyone, this is Easton—thank you for all of your prayers. Please keep praying for me as I continue to get better, I know the prayers and blessings have worked, and that heavenly Father is blessing me.’

He has undergone many hours of rehab after being diagnosed with a fractured skull and an epidural hematoma following the fall

Easton was released from hospital in August and was filmed in an Instagram video (above) thanking people for the support and prayers that he has received 

At the time of his release, CBS said Oliverson is making ‘significant progress’ in his recovery, while USA Today reported that Dr. Oded Goren, the doctor who treated Easton, said he believed there would be no lasting damage.

‘It’s impossible to really predict at such early stages, but the way he recovered and the way the initial scans looked after his surgery… there are no signs of injuries to the brain itself from the initial trauma,’ Goren said. 

‘So taking the images, which look fantastic, and taking his clinical progression, that is doing so well, I’m hopeful to have full recovery.’ 

In a statement to ABC News, the Little League said: ‘Out of an abundance of caution, following Easton’s fall — Little League removed all bunks from within the dorms and placed each bed frame individually on the floor, and we continue to review and evaluate safety protocols to prevent such an accident from ever happening again.’

The league added, ‘We continue to offer Easton Oliverson our prayers and support as he recovers and heals.’

Easton is on the long road to recovery nine months later. He underwent three brain surgeries, multiple weeks in the hospital, and many hours in rehab.

The family credits the power of prayer for Easton being alive today.