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Lawsuit in sledding tragedy
Ottawa Sun ^ | Wed, July 27, 2005 | Sean Meagher

Posted on 07/27/2005 11:42:57 AM PDT by Stevieboy

Lawsuit in sledding tragedy
Family of crash victim launches $255G action against City of Gatineau, claiming hill was unsafe

THE FAMILY of a 12-year-old Gatineau boy who died in a sledding accident last winter has launched a lawsuit against the City of Gatineau in the hope that no one else will have to experience what they have lived through.

"It hurts so much when the doctor is telling you that your son is dead following an activity like that, so I don't want no one else to live it," said Francois Lessard, whose son Simon died as a result of head trauma he received after hitting a tree while sledding with a friend on Feb. 5 at Lemoyne Park.

The family is asking for $255,000 -- $100,000 each for both Francois and his wife, France, $25,000 for their daughter, Nathalie, and another $30,000 for pain, suffering and funeral expenses.

TREES DANGEROUS

"We're not doing it for the money, we're doing it for our son," said Lessard.

(Excerpt) Read more at ottawasun.com ...


TOPICS: Canada; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accident; lawsuit; litigation; personal; responsibility; simonlessard; sledding; sleigh
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To: goarmy
Oh I know...it's amazing any of us are alive!

I swear, I think that kids don't exercise basic survival skills anymore because they TOO protected and sheltered.

They think their safety is all taken care of and not their responsibility.

When I was young we knew that if we hit trees bad things would happen. If you didn't want to get hurt you needed to exercise your own judgment and not wait for somebody to put up a sign or guard rail.
21 posted on 07/27/2005 12:11:36 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: goarmy
Oh I know...it's amazing any of us are alive!

I swear, I think that kids don't exercise basic survival skills anymore because they TOO protected and sheltered.

They think their safety is all taken care of and not their responsibility.

When I was young we knew that if we hit trees bad things would happen. If you didn't want to get hurt you needed to exercise your own judgment and not wait for somebody to put up a sign or guard rail.
22 posted on 07/27/2005 12:11:36 PM PDT by Gator101
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To: Stevieboy

I had a friend crippled surfing in "hurricane" surf can his family sue the countries this storm originated from ?


23 posted on 07/27/2005 12:11:41 PM PDT by kendu
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Yes...someone sue the parents for allowing their son to take part in such a dangerous sport. Negligence! Can't believe they put a price on their son...wonder what the daughter is worth?


24 posted on 07/27/2005 12:12:30 PM PDT by petpeeve
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To: biggerten

"We SHOULD ban snowmobing, I don't know anybody who has anything positive to say about it."

What is snowmobing? ;) I'm sure you meant snowmobiling, or what we Alaskan's refer to as snowmachining.

Don't know anybody who has anything positive to say about it? Ask an Alaskan! Many Alaskans even get to work on their "machines". Many kids use them as transportation to school. And of course, snowmachining is FUN!


25 posted on 07/27/2005 12:15:43 PM PDT by Chena (I'm not young enough to know everything)
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To: biggerten
We used to Snowmob down a sledding hill.

Large tractor inner tube (>10ft diameter). Mob of drunk people on it. Spinning down the hill sending people flying.

The only negative thing I can say is don't be the guy in the hole in the inner tube. That sucks.

26 posted on 07/27/2005 12:16:59 PM PDT by Dinsdale
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To: Gator101
I swear, I think that kids don't exercise basic survival skills anymore because they are TOO protected and sheltered.

It's like the driver who waits for the light to turn green before proceeding, as opposed to the libertarian who waits for the green, looks both ways and then proceeds.
27 posted on 07/27/2005 12:17:26 PM PDT by Stevieboy
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To: Stevieboy

Wow. Darwin at work.

Where was the parental supervision? Why is there no countersuit by the city against the parents for clean-up costs, mental anguish of city workers, etc.?


28 posted on 07/27/2005 12:18:46 PM PDT by Triggerhippie (Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.)
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To: Stevieboy
A STATEMENT THAT IS ALWAYS FALSE:

We're not doing it for the money...

29 posted on 07/27/2005 12:19:34 PM PDT by Diplomat
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To: Stevieboy
"We're not doing it for the money, we're doing it for our son," said Lessard.

Then don't accept any money and get a free lawyer.

30 posted on 07/27/2005 12:21:04 PM PDT by Triggerhippie (Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.)
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To: Stevieboy

Do they sue each other over hockey injuries too? I mean seriously, those long sticks and sharp skates and slippery ice have got to go.


31 posted on 07/27/2005 12:22:28 PM PDT by Sender (Team Infidel USA)
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To: Slainte
Clearly, we just need to cut down all the trees.

That might not be enough. Probably need to level out all of the hills while you are at it.

32 posted on 07/27/2005 12:22:43 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Stevieboy
launched a lawsuit against the City of Gatineau in the hope that no one else will ever be allowed to enjoy sledding.

Seriously, in NY we have laws against it and you can be arrested. What used to be the funnest part of winter is now outlawed.

33 posted on 07/27/2005 12:24:16 PM PDT by bird4four4
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To: Triggerhippie

Sleds should obviously be licensed, require a waiting period prior to purchase, have an instant background check performed and kept in a locked safe to prevent such terrible things from happening. We should all be glad that ths was not an assault sled or more people could have been tragically and needlessly murdered. ... or perhaps it is trees that this should apply to...


34 posted on 07/27/2005 12:24:40 PM PDT by Vercingetorix_Gaul (Veni, Vedi, Butti (I came. I saw. I kicked butt.))
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To: TChris
A snowmob is not a pretty sight ;-)


35 posted on 07/27/2005 12:25:38 PM PDT by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Give Them Liberty Or Give Them Death! - IT'S ISLAM, STUPID! - Islam Delenda Est! - Rumble thee forth)
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To: Rokke
then I'm sure they will be happy to donate any award they get from this lawsuit to an appropriate charity.

Like the taxpayers?

If they win this case I would expect the Jude to sent a letter to every taxpayer in the city with a bill for their share of the judgment, and a have the Judge include a clear statement of what the Taxpayers did wrong. I would also have him send a letter to every voter explaining how their decisions at the ballot box helped caused the Taxpayer to be liable. (Some folks will get two letters).

36 posted on 07/27/2005 12:26:52 PM PDT by Mark was here (My tag line was about to be censored.)
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To: biggerten

The company I work for sells snowmobile trailers, it's part of our business so to us it's a good thing!


37 posted on 07/27/2005 12:30:51 PM PDT by kx9088
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To: Stevieboy
"We're not doing it for the money, we're doing it for our son," said Lessard.

Really? How does that work?

Does winning a lawsuit somehow improve his son's standing in the afterworld?

38 posted on 07/27/2005 12:45:03 PM PDT by Egon (By the way, I took the liberty of fertilizing your caviar.)
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To: Stevieboy

The city should sue the parents for a million dollars for failing to act like parents resulting in the death of their son and smearing the good name of the city.


39 posted on 07/27/2005 12:45:26 PM PDT by DB (©)
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To: Stevieboy

Maybe the city should put 3' concrete barriers around the trees, and paint them red. Then nobody could run into the trees.

Or, if people think the concrete barriers are too dangerous, maybe a 6' barbed wire fence would work.

How about planting so damned many trees, boulders and brambles on the hill that they can't get their sleds up it to slide down the 'no sliding' zone?


40 posted on 07/27/2005 2:12:17 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The world needs more work horses, and fewer Jackasses!)
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