Streetcar Accident Prompts Major Lawsuit
A teenager files suit for $8,250 after being thrown from a streetcar turning a sharp curve in South Tacoma.
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Wilbur Slinger, a 16-year-old, has brought a lawsuit in federal court against the Tacoma Railway & Power Company, seeking $8,250 in damages for injuries sustained on August 12. The complaint alleges that due to the company's negligence, the streetcar took the curve at South 38th and M streets at such a high speed that Slinger was thrown from the platform. He suffered a broken left arm, a sprained wrist, and severe bruising. The suit was filed through his father, E. J. Slinger, acting as guardian.
“Owing to the negligence of the company, the car turned the curve at South Thirty-eighth and M streets at such a terrific speed that the plaintiff was thrown from the platform.”
Public transit safety was a frequent flashpoint as Tacoma’s streetcar system expanded rapidly in the early 20th century. Today’s debates over transit safety and pedestrian infrastructure continue to echo these early concerns about corporate liability and municipal transit speed.
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