If you haven’t heard by now, there is a crazy legal case in Connecticut where a driver going up to 84 mph in a 45 mph zone (trying to pass other cars on a two-lane road) is suing the parents of the 14-year-old kid he killed because the kid, Matthew Kenney, wasn’t wearing a helmet. Yes, r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s.
The driver, David Weaving, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for manslaughter (and already had 5 convictions for drunk driving prior to this accident) and is now suing the parents due to his “great mental and emotional pain and suffering” and inability to “carry on his life’s activities.”
He is seeking $15,000 in this publicly-funded lawsuit and is representing himself.
Mother Joanne Kenney says that this “unbelievable” counter-lawsuit “drags the pain on. It’s a constant reminder” and “Enough is enough. Can you just leave us alone and serve your time?”.
Weaving doesn’t look like he’s got a great chance of winning this case. While Connecticut has a mandatory bicycle helmet law for children 15 and under, the law is pretty clear on the matter Weaving is bringing up:
“Failure to comply with this section shall not be a violation or an offense. Failure to wear protective headgear as required by this subsection shall not be considered to be contributory negligence on the part of the parent or the child nor shall such failure be admissible in any civil action.”
This is truly a sad story. Can you imagine bringing such a case to court?
via League of American Bicyclists & Bike Radar
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Photo Credit: bloomsberries via flickr (CC license)
