It's a tragedy that 4-year-old Ryan McGrath drowned in 2010 -- and that the boy's mother is trying blame Wood River and its taxpayers for his death.

The mother, Laura M. Pauley, just ratcheted up her wrongful death lawsuit against the city. Never mind that the criminal courts found Pauley and Shawn D. McGrath guilty of endangering their son's life by failing to adequately supervise him.

In the twisted logic of the lawsuit, Wood River is responsible because the tunnel and spillway at the reservoir looked like a piece of playground equipment. No mention of the parent's responsibility for what happened.

This is the same mindset seen in the infamous lawsuit against McDonalds over spilled coffee. The plaintiff spilled the coffee on herself, but according to the suit it was the restaurant's fault.

The trouble with lawsuits like these is that even if the company or government entity eventually wins, it loses. Legal defenses are expensive. Sometimes it's easier just to settle to make lawsuits go away. That may be what Pauley and her attorney hope happens this time.