Also if someone is doing a job for a company and wrecks you and ruins your life, that company, not just the net worth of the person doing it, is held culpable. So many people learn too late that they can be sued up to their net worth for permanent damage done in an accident. I pay the extra for a policy covering that amount, just because I don't want to lose my house and life if I screw up and cause a life shattering accident.

Hello_Newman

Therefore, Terry Bollea and his wife (whatever her name is) are legally responsible for his actions.

Evil J

Saboth

Perhaps you could have picked a safer hobby to share with your son other than hoonage.

toyotaboy

RoninianHoon

As far as culpability, no one can prove definitively the difference in damage the kid suffered by not wearing his seatbelt. They can however prove that the kid would have been significantly LESS injured (i.e. NOT) if Nick wouldn't have broken the law and wrecked the car.

Nick's responsibility may be reduced slightly because of the seatbelt, but not much. Not saying it's right or wrong, I'm saying that's how these cases go.

Terry-settle or declare bankruptcy. Then abort little Nicky.

OctaneBoaster

Looking at the photos again - something just occurred to me... John G may have been so devastatingly injured by an untethered speaker box in the back of the car. All that boom boom gear flying around like the proverbial box of tissues on the back deck (nod to mythbusters) - right into the dude's cranium. What I read locally based on a first responder's off the record statement - is he had a big hole in his forehead.. which I couldn't figure out for a rear-impact collision.. except it makes some sense knowing he was unbelted.. and likely turned around to see what they were gonna hit.

Pussy Magnet no more.

Gaseous Clay

mytdawg

mytdawg

CORNFIELD_RACER

Was he whering a seat belt?

Does Hulk Hogan, aka Terry Bollea, actually have a million dollars of money?

Find out next time on "as the pussy-magnet spins"...

RoninianHoon

CARBOMB

Turboner

I feel for the kid and his family, but if you're gonna race, which I think he knew all to well was going to happen, you put on a helmet and seatbelt and sign your waiver like a big boy. Not that it wasn't a bad call to hand a 900WHP capable car to a spoiled teenage male.

Turboner

BTW: The girl Hulk was cheating with was like 33-35 or something, not his daughters age...its not as bad as some make it sound IMO.

MadNachos

Rock517

Stuntdriver

Concerning the wreck and lawsuit... damn shame, and it did kind of ruin his life. Failure to wear a seatbelt? Do not pass go, do no collect five million dollars, or whatever figure you deem appropriate. Nick walked away relatively unharmed. Was he wearing his seatbelt? Nobody told you not to.

linoth

IZQQMX2

A six hundred horsepower, front-engined rear wheel drive car. Think that might be a little twitchy? It doesn't matter how cool it is, putting that much power into a car can be very dangerous. A car like that should only be driven with an ambulance, a fire team, and possibly a helicopter standing by in case something goes wrong. I doubt that there is anyone in the world who would deny that buying a 600 hp supra for a seventeen year old will definitely end up with a large crash and someone seriously injured. The hulkster was completely negligent to buy that car for his son, and certainly to let him drive it.

I wouldn't be shocked if that car turned out to have been tuned to the point where it was no longer street legal. I know in Ontario that such a car would not be street legal. If the car has parts that were not there for any of the registration process could make this case pretty simple for a judge.

Keep in mind too that Nick Bollea has competed in drifting, and crashed a viper in the exact same manner that he crashed the supra. That could be introduced into the case, and they might try to imply that he was intentionally drifting the car on public roads.

I might also add that some responsibility for seatbelts rests on the driver. I don't allow people in my car without seatbelts, especially if they're sitting shotgun. If you want to operate a motor vehicle, then you have some responsibility to the occupants about safety.

Terry Bollea certainly bears responsibility in this case. He should never be allowing his son to drive souped up supras and vipers. Nick Bollea is 17, he is a new and inexperienced driver and should never be entrusted with a car that is so powerful and dangerous. I hope that they get sued for an incredible amount of money, because the victim is going to need constant care for the rest of his life. Someone needs to pay the nursing costs.

Evil-Jeremy

Facing facts, kids are going to learn how to do stupid stuff in whatever car you give them. It's just the reality of it. I knew a kid with an Esteem... he used to offroad it and jump "ramps" made out of whatever would support the weight of the vehicle (didn't take much).

All that said, you give a kid anything with more than 150 hp and you're asking for that kid to kill himself or someone else, let alone 500+.

Evil J

NovaloadMissesPolar

And if I absolutely have to... then I'm going to strap myself in and pray to God for the best.

Evil J

No, seriously, if I read the news article about this right, the reason they're suing Hulk is because Nick "the Prick" Bollea was 17 at the time of his crash, making his parent's legally responsible for his actions since he's not legally an adult.

All that said... I don't know if you can argue complicity by getting in the car with a jackass who is driving something clearly more powerful than what he can handle (I have seen him quote drift end quote), but I do think that you'll have the other side argue that had the guy been wearing a seatbelt, he may not need constant care for the rest of his life...

One of those things that would effect the overall judgment if not get the Bolleas off the hook.

In other words, Nick's at fault for the injuries (and thus his parents are legally responsible), but the guy injured is at fault for the severity of his injuries.

Evil J

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

AdmiralAutobahn

Charles_Barrett - Now with Variable-Valve Timing

Solo_Racer

Solo_Racer

Rock517

From a loia's perspective, Graziano's not wearing a seatbelt is what's called contributory/comparative negligence. It'd lessen whatever culpability young Mr. Pussy Magnet had...

As for the Hulkster's responsibility, that would take some good lawyering. I mean, c'mon, 17 is likely the age of majority in FL, and, even if it isn't, to hold the parent liable for the negligent actions of a son driving is a stretch.

For negligence you need 1.) a duty, 2.) a breech of the duty, 3.) causation, and 4.) harm. How did the Hulkster owe Graziano a duty? I dunno, but I ain't a high priced ambulance-chasing loia...

Rock517

Vintage Racer is out taking pictures

sliderule

htrodblder

SpeedWagon - Needs COTD bailout.

Oh, I see now! It's a three step wealth re-distribution system!

milo_carrera--now with Corrected Politicality

MadNachos

@harumph: yeah, he was all like "Nick let's go cruising so you can cave my skull in and I can drool on myself for sixty years!"

OctaneBoaster

mytdawg

harumph

shocker.

OctaneBoaster

theeastbaykid

wookie1901

yellofury * * * * *

Nick Hogan, also known as Terry Bolldriver

The Name's Ash78, Housewares