Gratton Family to File Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Super Boat International
12-09-2011, 11:23 PM
#51
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If the lawsuit is truely about safety in the sport, how about the lawyer and family come out right now and say that 50% of any damages will be donated to doing the proper research and development of better safety equipment and canopy construction. If the biggest hurdle for this development is money, this situation could very well take down that hurdle, and make it safer for all future races. I did not know Joey, but I bet that he would be honored if this was to come out of the tragedy.
If they don't come out with such a statement, it sure seems like, on the surface anyway, that it is more about the money.
If they don't come out with such a statement, it sure seems like, on the surface anyway, that it is more about the money.
12-09-2011, 11:28 PM
#52
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...When you look at a wreck like Dan Wheldon in IndyCar, everything that lead to the tragic death was a complete 1 in a million fluke. There never should have been multiple cars, flying through the air, upside down, bursting into flames. Every state of the art safety feature was in place, but it happened.
...The accidents this year in Key West, while not preventable, certainly never should have lead to death, or even near death... These weren't fluke accidents. They were typical accidents that could be expected of any raceboat traveling at the speed they were. The raceboats had structurally non-reinforced canopies, no requirement for full time oxygen, escape hatches that allegedly didn't open, etc. etc. On top of that, from posts on this site, you had rescue boats with no plan for where to take injured, Coast Guard with no clue either, and apparently no ambulance or Medivac helicopter flight (which everyone in KW knows is necessary even if you have a Moped crash). While the crashes would have happened, these deaths were completely preventable...If we are going to race, we can do far better than this.
Here are some questions that I will be keen to learn the answers to once the dust settles:
- Is there a set of consistent safety regulations for each of the various classes?
- Are these regulation consistently enforced?
- Did both of the boats involved in fatalities pass these safety inspections in Key West?
- Do ALL boats have to pass these regulations AT EVERY EVENT?
- Were ALL the safety crews properly briefed EACH DAY?
- Is there an INDEPENDENT investigation underway by a group with no affiliations or relation to SBI or any of its members? (IndyCar has appointed an independent group, how about SBI?)
- Willl there be constructive recommendations as a result of these deaths, and will those recommendations be acted on? (This is the only point that really matters.)
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Retired! Boating full-time now.
Retired! Boating full-time now.
Last edited by C_Spray; 12-09-2011 at 11:43 PM.
12-09-2011, 11:44 PM
#53
No. Emotionally hurt or Greedy people might, but a lawyer cannot file a case without a plaintiff.
Lawyers invented the phrase "assumption of the risk".
In most states, in person solicitation of a plaintiff is an ethical violation. If he contacted the family in an improper manner, there could be a problem.
Lawyers invented the phrase "assumption of the risk".
In most states, in person solicitation of a plaintiff is an ethical violation. If he contacted the family in an improper manner, there could be a problem.
12-10-2011, 12:43 AM
#54
Charter Member # 545
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For those that say nothing good can become of this, I disagree. If it takes litigation to make SBI examine and change or amend some of its policy's about safety and prevent the lose of life its a small price to pay. Mistakes may have been made, or perhaps SBI's measures will be found to have been reasonable.
It wont bring Joey, or the others back, but possibly prevent a repeat of this in the future.
It wont bring Joey, or the others back, but possibly prevent a repeat of this in the future.
12-10-2011, 06:22 AM
#55
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"“One of the most of upsetting things about this entire scenario is that Joey Gratton would absolutely, positively be alive today but for the gross negligence of SBI,” said Allweiss. “Joey Gratton didn’t die ‘of injuries sustained in the crash,’ as (SBI head) John Carbonell has said. He had no injuries.".
From the 4th and 7th paragraphs of article the lawyer is painting a very disturbing picture!
12-10-2011, 06:47 AM
#56
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When Cleveland Construction rolled in the prior year, the entire escape inside the cockpit was all caught on video.
If indeed Page's boat had onboard camera's inside the cockpit, I wonder who has the footage ?
That would certainly explain exactly what went on during the time of the rescue. Even the cameras outside the boat would tell a lot of the story.
I would find it hard to believe they had no cameras at all on the boat....
If indeed Page's boat had onboard camera's inside the cockpit, I wonder who has the footage ?
That would certainly explain exactly what went on during the time of the rescue. Even the cameras outside the boat would tell a lot of the story.
I would find it hard to believe they had no cameras at all on the boat....
12-10-2011, 07:08 AM
#57
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It seems they would have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTHxM...eature=related
Last edited by DONZI; 12-10-2011 at 07:12 AM.
12-10-2011, 07:18 AM
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Can we at least agree on one thing...it's breathing air...medical grade breathing air...Not oxygen that should have been in the cockpit and either turned on and ready for use or on full time to an aviators mask of some kind with an ambient air bypass until needed. Oxygen is only needed when the oxygen concentration falls from the 20% found in breathing air. It's an oxidizer and would support combustion far beyond that of breathing air and has no place in a cockpit like these.
Everybody loves to hate a lawyer till they need one....
Everybody loves to hate a lawyer till they need one....
12-10-2011, 07:30 AM
#59
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The recovery in question is for Page Motorsports boat.
Last edited by SHARKEY-IMAGES; 12-10-2011 at 09:12 AM.
