Posted on 02/19/2009 7:43:47 AM PST by jaydubya2
Jurors have awarded a Lafayette woman $157 million in a lawsuit against the makers of a tree stand that malfunctioned, resulting in her husband's death.
Jurors deliberated for about an hour before reaching the verdict Tuesday in Tippecanoe Superior Court.
Carol Simonton filed the lawsuit in February 2006, about four months after her 42-year-old husband, Timothy Simonton, was found hanging from a tree where he had been scouting for deer.
Simonton's attorney, Mike Phelps of Bloomington, says he suggested a $100 million award during closing arguments in the trial. He says he doesn't know how jurors reached the $157 million amount.
No one representing the defendants -- L & L Enterprises of Hattiesburg, Miss., Ol' Man Tree Stands of Jay, Fla., and TSR Inc. of Pace, Fla. -- showed up for the trial.
The ol-man treestand is as good as there is. Basic reality is that ladder type and climbing tree stands are fairly safe if used properly and all other kinds are to be avoided. The remarkable thing is that we don’t get more hunters killed every year than deer.
The outfit that produced the tree stand no longer exists. The plaintiffs may be unable to collect anything.
http://www.jconline.com/article/20090219/NEWS03/902190348
If one has no tracking skills use tree stand and hang around.
These are the type of stories that make me tell my wife “no” every time she comes up with an idea to sell something that she has designed in her head. The liability today is too much.
No doubt. $157 MILLION DOLLARS? Is that the going rate for dead hunters now?
“The outfit that produced the tree stand no longer exists. The plaintiffs may be unable to collect anything.”
*Wa wa waaaaaa*
which will be reversed on appeal.
which if the plaintiff is smart they will simply settle for some lesser amount.
These verdicts are routinely reversed on appeal.
for example the coffee burning 2 million verdict was on the fast track to be reversed. Mcdonalds offered 200k to settle the case during the appeal process and the plaintiffs took it rather than get zero.
Kramer settled for free coffee forever.
Court will reduce the award, just like the McDonald’s case.
Registered Democrats.
Registered Democrats.
Actually, the jury consisted of Nancy Pelosi, Charles Rangle, Chuckie Schumer, Harry Reid and the rest of the Congressional Stimulus crowd. The award was meant to stimulate.
LOL. Ain’t that the sad truth...
It had no alcohol warning labels. There was clearly negligence.
meh, a couple more years of the 0bama administration that will only be worth $157.00
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.