Kids, This Is Why You Don't Let Friends Ride Your Quad

[digginfool]

Read the article.  Enough said.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpatv1103pnnov03,0,1683515.story

[RancherFreak]

Yeh thats true

[sykolincoln]

that sucks, let me ask you this with that kind of money, can that fammily really afford that? if something like that came down on me, there wouldnt be a snowflakes chance in Hell that I would ever be able to pay for something like that.

[buzzardman]

My o My how times have changed.

When I was 13 I just got my brand new quad racer and was riding with my friend who had a beat up Big Red ATC.  He really wanted to test out my new quad so we switched on a dirt road near our homes.  He neglected to tell me there wasn't any rear brakes on the big red.  I came into a corner at about 45 mph and it was time to start braking-----and nothing.  Those big balloon tires made it imposible to lean it any harder for the turn so I flew off the road and head in into a tree.  I got busted up very badly.  Lots of broken bones.  It busted my full face helmet nearly crushing my jaw. 

The ATC was all but destroyed. 

Now the difference from then till now-------    Even though that friend never told me the brakes were out, my parents told me that if I would have  used my head for something other than a hat rack, I would have inspected the ATC and test road it before I hit those speeds.   So after I took the 3 months to heal my body,  I got the privelage to sell my brand new quad and had to use the money to pay my friends family full market value on thier lost ATC, then give the rest of the $ to my parents for thier money spent on hospital bills.  then work all the next summer for my dad to cover the rest of the hospital bills.


It never crossed my family's minds to grab an ambulance chaser and sue our neighborhood friends like what people do today.  My father just expected more out of me and figured I would gain much more common sense by paying for my mistakes. 

It's sad the girl payed for her mistakes with her life.  But I disagree with her parents trying to profit from her death.  I do think the atv owners could have offered to pay for the girls funeral and then left it at that. 

my 2 cents

[KAW3604x4]

I agree 100% with buzzaedman. That's what my parents would have done as well!

[qt314nfla]

I agree 100% with buzzaedman. That's what my parents would have done as well!

mine as well.  i have already discussed w/ my mom and have in writing that should anything happen to me while riding to take any donations or funds and create an atv park so that it ppl have more places to ride.  that being said please don't kill me. lol

[buzzardman]

On a somewhat hypocrital note.  The last time NYRAPTOR and I went riding, he wanted to ride my KX and the rear brakes weren't working.    Of course he will agree, I really drilled that fact  into him before he rode it, but that sure did bring up all those memories of my youth.    Oh,  and NYRAPTOR actually rode my bike better than I could but even so, my butt was still really puckered to his RAPTORS seat.   

[trx#9]

that sucks, let me ask you this with that kind of money, can that fammily really afford that? if something like that came down on me, there wouldnt be a snowflakes chance in Hell that I would ever be able to pay for something like that.

I'd pay them 100 dollars a month.

[digginfool]

Our society has become unacceptably sue happy.  I am in full support of tort reform.  I believe that if the victim contributed to the tragedy, there should be caps on how much can be awarded or collected, if anything at all.  And it shouldn't be on some arbitrary percentage basis.  How can you say the victim was only 5% at fault when she rode it of her own free will, with a passenger, above her abilities.  Yes, you could make the argument that the kids should not have been riding without adult supervision, and I agree, but I would hope you all remember what it was like being that age.  New toys are way cool and everybody wants to take it for a spin, whether it's a new skateboard (lawsuit), bicycle (lawsuit), mini-bike (lawsuit) or atv (big lawsuit).  Unfortunately, those of us who say "remember when it wasn't that way?' is part of the generation who has made it this way.  How ironic.

[bignickwaite]

when i hear stories like that it really makes me sick to my stomach. people die because of mistakes. thats it !!if my child lost his life because of an accident then thats all it is an accient . thanks god i dont have any kids but if thats what happens then thats it. 3 million $ is not going to bring my child  back and to be honest with you its not going to make me feel any better. its a sad story of what this world is becoming.

[sykolincoln]

I agree 100% with buzzaedman. That's what my parents would have done as well!

mine as well.  i have already discussed w/ my mom and have in writing that should anything happen to me while riding to take any donations or funds and create an atv park so that it ppl have more places to ride.  that being said please don't kill me. lol

crap! now I got to turn around!

[Ida_Mann]

can't remember how old I was at the time, but I was young enough that a minibike Honda 50cc was just the right size for me and some neighbors of ours had one,,,,along with a blaster and a warrior and we all used to go riding at what is now the intersection of John Young and Central Florida Parkway in Orlando.

Well, one summer day when I was staying over at their house during the days, it was a priveledge for the kids to get the bike out and ride up and down the sidewalk,,,,,and you could ride it if you finished your lunch and put your plate away.

Well, I was the first out the door and straight to the bike I went,,,,the bike was facing the garage door(which was closed) and in gear(which I didn't know).  I started it up and it shot straight into the garage door with me hanging on for dear life,,,,my right leg just above my kneecap jammed into to exhaust pipe and I ended up getting 7 stitches out of the deal, and had to apologize for the damage to the door, as well as work off the money it took to repair the door.

and my mom was then, and still is now an insurance adjuster.

did we sue? nope, did the thought even cross our minds,,,probably not.

some people make me sick nowadays.

Id@

[greenmachine]

Everyone says they wouldnt sue in this situation because of your past experiences. You guys are all still alive. Your parents didnt bury you. Your parents will see you tomorrow. Your parents didnt have to read a write up in the newspaper. Your parents didnt have lawyers calling them in their time of grief throwing $numbers at them & pointing fingers.
It is easy to say what you would do, but to really know what you would do with such a devastating loss is another thing.
If her parents were in a normal state of mind they would probably says the same things as we are. The parents of the girl probably had no idea she was riding quads or running with the other kids. Her parents probably dont even know the names of the other parents.
These things all figure in.
Although I agree, the accident was her fault. It was an accident though.
Hopefully they can find peace & the judge, when appealed, will see it for what it is.