Saturday, June 23, 2012

Where Is A Clue-by-Four When You Need One?

There was an article in today's paper about a New Jersey woman who is suing and 11-year-old child of all people after he accidentally hit her with a ball.  He was warming up a pitcher and the ball strayed when he threw it, hitting the woman in the face.  She needed medical attention.  She is now suing the boy for $150,000 in order to pay for her medical expenses.  $150,000!  The boy doesn't have that much money 
 Read this clip:

   "The lawsuit filed April 24 alleges that the boy's* errant throw was intentional and reckless, 'assaulted and battered' the woman*, and caused 'severe, painful, and permanent' injuries. 
         A second count alleges the boy's actions were negligent and careless through 'engaging in inappropriate physical and/or sporting activities' near the woman.  
         And the woman's husband, in a third count, is suing for the loss of 'services, society, consortium' to his wife.  They've demanded a jury trial." 

What is this woman thinking?  This was an exceedingly rare freak accident, like the batter many years ago who got killed by a fastball.   "The throw was intentional and reckless"Of course the throw was intentional; but the boy was aiming to warm up his team pitcher.  He was not aiming for the woman.  The ball simply strayed.  Why should this be reason to sue?  Also, the average 11-year-old still doesn't have the best coordination, and so this accusation of the throw being reckless is rather silly. 
        And what was the woman expecting when she went to a Little League baseball game?  Dance?  It's a baseball game.  There's nothing inappropriate about playing on a school baseball team.  Not only are the kids getting exercise, but the kids are learning teamwork.  What does this woman have against that? 
      I'm not even going to try to explain the third set of charges.  However, since the woman's husband is helping with this, he's at fault too.  Allowing his wife to frivolously sue a fifth or sixth grader?  Why doesn't he recognize the lawsuit as undeniably stupid and tell her she's making a mistake.  Neither spouse should help the other do something as vile as this.  The man is not behaving like a proper husband and letting his wife know she's being foolish by suing a child; not only for something the child did not intend to do, but expecting him to pay an obscene amount.  

The lawyer who represents the boy knows that this is appallingly cruel.  He told to newspaper, "I think that it's disgusting that you have people suing an 11-year-old for overthrowing his pitcher in the bullpen." 

Mike Royko wrote of a similar incident in 1996.  The only kind of person who would do this sort of thing is a vengeful, avaricious, and all-around monster.  I sincerely hope that this lawsuit gets rejected immediately.   
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*I have refused to reveal the names of the persons involved.   

No comments:

Post a Comment