OT - Garage Jumper Sues for Negligence

NoMyths · 03-01-2005, 12:41 PM

Link: Teens Leaping for Thrills in 'Garage Jumping' Trend

Lord. My first thought was "The next headline we'll see is 'Boy Climbs Tree; Parents Shocked!' My second thought was disbelief that someone is actually suing the city to protect garage jumpers from their own idiocy. I suppose traffic dodgers are next on the list.

Quote: "Since Bargfrede fell, the City of Orlando erected a partial fence but there's still room for someone to take a dangerous dive.

The family says that's not good enough and that both garages need to take responsibility before a garage jumper loses his life."

Full Text:
Teens Leaping for Thrills in 'Garage Jumping' Trend

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Teenagers in Orlando, Fla., are leaping between 80-foot high public parking garages in a new trend called "garage jumping," according to a Local 6 News investigation.

Local 6 News reported that the thrill seekers are vaulting themselves between garages in downtown Orlando.

Tim Bargfrede told Local 6 News that he was following friends when he attempted to garage jump and did not make it to the other side. Bargfrede fell six stories and was knocked unconscious on impact.

"I just didn't make it," Bargfrede said.

Bargfrede survived the 80-foot fall but was injured.

"The first time I came to the garage after my son's accident, I looked over and I just about broke out in tears," the boy's father Tim Bargfrede said. "I can't believe he actually survived. He looked like he was near death."

"He (Bargfrede) is not he first person, he is not the second person, there have been four or five other individuals before him that did this," family's attorney Vincent D'Assaro said.

The city of Orlando owns one of the downtown parking lots next to a private parking garage owned by Orlando Tower LP, according to Local 6 News.

Orlando Parking Garage Director Samuel Vennero admitted he was aware of at least one other incident where a garage jumper didn't make it to the other side.

"I don't think we recognized it before as a danger," Vennero said.

There are no safety fences in place on the parking garage.

D'Assaro is filing a lawsuit against the city of Orlando and the private garage owner for making little effort to correct a potential deadly risk.

"There was a very, very short length of fence that was completely ineffective in preventing this from happening," D'Assaro said.

Orlando Tower LP, the private parking lot owner, refused to comment about their responsibility, according to the report.

Since Bargfrede fell, the City of Orlando erected a partial fence but there's still room for someone to take a dangerous dive.

The family says that's not good enough and that both garages need to take responsibility before a garage jumper loses his life.

gstelmack · 03-01-2005, 12:49 PM

What a bunch of maroons. I mean the parents and teenagers, not the city and owner of the other garage. You can't protect people from being complete and total idiots.

Kodos · 03-01-2005, 01:09 PM

This is natural selection at work, folks. Don't stop it! Help them help out our gene pool.

tategter · 03-01-2005, 01:18 PM

I can see them suing to put a fence up to keep people from falling over the edge accidentally, but to sue because you refuse to acknowledge that your son is a dumbass is just...well...dumb.

Almost as bad as the guy who went to rob the school and fell through the skylight instead. He successfully sued the school for millions.

Gary Gorski · 03-01-2005, 01:19 PM

I say the courts should be involved....they should be taking the children away from these parents. Who in the hell finds out their kid is garage jumping and then decides that the city and garage owners are to blame and not that their kid is a moron. I think the 80 foot fall may have actually made this dumbass smarter - it sure couldn't make him dumber.

Maybe the city should send people to jump off the roof of their home to their neighbor's roof and then sue them for not having a fence on their roof.

SlapBone · 03-01-2005, 01:20 PM

Actually, could we the internet public get some live feeds of this stuff, I would like to start gambling on it immediately.

Gary Gorski · 03-01-2005, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlapBone

Actually, could we the internet public get some live feeds of this stuff, I would like to start gambling on it immediately.

Just turn on ESPN2 - Im sure it will be on shortly. Either that or part of the next X Games

SunDancer · 03-01-2005, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tategter

I can see them suing to put a fence up to keep people from falling over the edge accidentally, but to sue because you refuse to acknowledge that your son is a dumbass is just...well...dumb.

Almost as bad as the guy who went to rob the school and fell through the skylight instead. He successfully sued the school for millions.

Any articles on that last statement? Never heard of that case. But, the juries are stupid enough to award such cases.

sterlingice · 03-01-2005, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kodos

This is natural selection at work, folks. Don't stop it! Help them help out our gene pool.

I heartily support the alien's plan.

SI

BrianD · 03-01-2005, 01:57 PM

It is a story like this that really makes me appreciate Europe. Go to any city with a bunch of canals (Amsterdam, Venice), and you might see a chain before the edge of the water, but not much else. You have to respect countries that have parents smart enough to teach their own kids not to fall over the edge of something.

I like Gary's idea. Any parent willing to sue over something like this is showing themselves to be unfit parents.

Glengoyne · 03-01-2005, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunDancer

Any articles on that last statement? Never heard of that case. But, the juries are stupid enough to award such cases.

As I recall there were signs warning people not to walk on the skylights, but they were posted at the normal access points to the roof. Since the guy breaking in, didn't come up any of the "legal" entrances, he didn't see them. His case was based on the fact that since it was possible for someone to gain access to the roof without seeing a warning sing, the school district should have placed warning signs on the roof itself.

I don't know if it is a real case or not, but I've heard the story told/retold a few times.

Craptacular · 03-03-2005, 07:42 PM

The family of a student at UW-Lacrosse who got drunk and drowned in the Mississippi is suing the school and the city for "fostering a culture of binge drinking" that led to his death. Maybe the school and city should countersue the family for fostering a family environment that led to their son getting drunk and drowning in the city.

03-01-2005, 12:49 PM	#2
gstelmack Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cary, NC	What a bunch of maroons. I mean the parents and teenagers, not the city and owner of the other garage. You can't protect people from being complete and total idiots. __________________ -- Greg -- Author of various FOF utilities

03-01-2005, 01:19 PM	#5
Gary Gorski Wolverine Studios Join Date: Oct 2003	I say the courts should be involved....they should be taking the children away from these parents. Who in the hell finds out their kid is garage jumping and then decides that the city and garage owners are to blame and not that their kid is a moron. I think the 80 foot fall may have actually made this dumbass smarter - it sure couldn't make him dumber. Maybe the city should send people to jump off the roof of their home to their neighbor's roof and then sue them for not having a fence on their roof. __________________ Wolverine Studios http://www.wolverinestudios.com

03-01-2005, 01:09 PM	#3
Kodos Resident Alien Join Date: Jun 2001	This is natural selection at work, folks. Don't stop it! Help them help out our gene pool.

03-01-2005, 01:18 PM	#4
tategter High School JV Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Florida Swampland	I can see them suing to put a fence up to keep people from falling over the edge accidentally, but to sue because you refuse to acknowledge that your son is a dumbass is just...well...dumb. Almost as bad as the guy who went to rob the school and fell through the skylight instead. He successfully sued the school for millions.

03-01-2005, 01:20 PM	#6
SlapBone High School JV Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Houston, Texas	Actually, could we the internet public get some live feeds of this stuff, I would like to start gambling on it immediately.

03-01-2005, 01:57 PM	#10
BrianD Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Appleton, WI	It is a story like this that really makes me appreciate Europe. Go to any city with a bunch of canals (Amsterdam, Venice), and you might see a chain before the edge of the water, but not much else. You have to respect countries that have parents smart enough to teach their own kids not to fall over the edge of something. I like Gary's idea. Any parent willing to sue over something like this is showing themselves to be unfit parents.

03-03-2005, 07:42 PM	#12
Craptacular College Starter Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Mad City, WI	The family of a student at UW-Lacrosse who got drunk and drowned in the Mississippi is suing the school and the city for "fostering a culture of binge drinking" that led to his death. Maybe the school and city should countersue the family for fostering a family environment that led to their son getting drunk and drowning in the city.

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