Posted on 03/11/2014 7:35:08 AM PDT by PaulCruz2016
A Colorado man, despite acknowledging that he's lucky to be alive after being trapped in a submerged car, has filed an intent to sue his rescuers for half a million dollars.
Roy Ortiz filed his intent to sue the county of Boulder and his rescuers for a tentative $500,000 as a "preservative" measure, his attorney, Ed Ferszt, told ABCNews.com.
Ferszt said the county should have closed the road during floods in September. He said the first responders were also included because they did not realize Ortiz was trapped in the car until they prepared to lift it out of the water.
(Excerpt) Read more at gma.yahoo.com ...
Obviously some money-grubbing lawyer saw an opportunity to rake in the bucks and to participate in the destruction of American society in the process.
No good deed goes unpunished and he seems to think that no stupid action should go unrewarded.
Dirtbag and his POS ambulance chaser.
Some people don’t acknowledge they’re lucky to be alive. And suing the person who saved your life says a great deal more about what kind of person you truly are than it says anything about the good Samaritan who rescued you from perishing from the earth.
Good like finding a jury to go along with his idea that he was a victim.
Do you know how many cubic feet of air is required to sustain human life for two hours?
They risked their lives to save his life. Some judge and/or jury ought tell him to shut his mouth.
If I were on that jury, I’d vote to put him back in the water and leave him there.
Personal responsibility is sadly lacking in this country. He’s not responsible for putting himself in danger, so someone else should the foot the tab for his own stupidity.
Dumb clients, ambulance-chasing legal scumbags and chutzpah shows three’s a crowd.
And I’m ashamed to live in Colorado with the likes of this guy.
Hard to say at this point whether they were negligent in not closing the road he was on or not, or whether they should have been quicker in recognizing that there was someone alive in the car. I’m not saying he’s correct, but given the statute of limitations for these types of claims (depending on the state) I think all his lawyers are doing at this point is establishing the right to sue, if it comes to that. I think it was smart for them to do this, and I don’t blame this guy for keeping this option open. In the end, maybe all he wants is some leverage such that they will help him deal with the medical bills.
For the record, I share the views of most here that there are way too many lawsuits, and especially way too many frivolous ones. That said, sometimes you need a lawyer, and sometimes suing someone is the right thing to do.
So on what grounds is he suing them?
Of course he is unlikely to win because of sovereign immunity. The police and fire departments have no obligation to protect.
I wonder if Will Smith ever sued that robot?
“What are his actual losses? It does not sound like he has any permanent injury so if they were negligent maybe they would be liable for medical bills and loss of property.”
I think the medical bills were probably a big part of his decision ($40,000 per the story). Also, once it gets into the attorney’s hands they cast as wide a net as possible initially, and this is probably why they included the first responders etc. This doesn’t mean that the man himself isn’t grateful for being saved.
I know it’s all screwed up (the system), but I’m just trying to defend this guy from being labeled a deadbeat who is looking for a payday. Spending two hours in freezing water not knowing if you are going to survive had to be pretty tough.
I agree. If I were on that jury, I'd veto any settlement for this loser and his attorney no matter how long it took.
Should have waited an hour.
Maybe the simplest solution to avoid a$$holes suing like this in the future is to have first responders require all victims to sign a legal waiver BEFORE any rescue attempt proceeds.
BTW, this guy is wasting his money and his greedy lawyer should tell him that because under Colorado law, public safety officials have no duty to act. And notice he’s already said he’s suing not because he actually thinks his rescuers were derelict in their duty, but because he wants someone else to pay for his medical bills!
And finally: “In the document, Ferszt stated Ortiz survived “by pure grace.” “
Really? I wonder how “grace” would have worked out if none of the rescuers had shown up at all?
Quite frankly, Ortiz and his lawyer are scum!
In other news, an unidentified man in Judea is suing some Samaritan for not warning him of the danger of robbers on the road, moving him without checking for spinal injuries, pouring unauthorized oil into his wounds, putting him up in a cheap hotel, and abandoning him there at the mercy of the innkeeper.
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