“A man who fell off a cliff while intoxicated can sue the people who brought him there and waited hours to get him help, a California appeals court ruled.” [Jeff Gorman, Courthouse News]
“A man who fell off a cliff while intoxicated can sue the people who brought him there and waited hours to get him help, a California appeals court ruled.” [Jeff Gorman, Courthouse News]
6 Comments
After reading the Courthouse News summary, I have to think the courts got this one right. Not to say the plaintiff did not share in the responsibility, but his “friends” certainly were negligent when they drove a drunk to a cliff, and then left him for dead when he fell off the cliff.
I agree. From the headline, I was ready for another eye roll. But, failure to summon help, and lying about it, are contributing factors to his injuries. How much did the delay hurt his health? Hard to say, but most likely not zero impact.
He is suing for $51 million. If he wins his lawsuit, I think he will be lucky to get $51 from those two losers.
Let this be a lesson to everyone: READ THE FINE PRINT when signing Friendship contracts!
Hold on for one gosh darn minute. These three were students at: Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. Could be they didn’t see a drunk man fall over the side of a mountain … But had been attempting a JUMP UP. After jumping up drunk, gravity was discovered.
They actually did go down to the river looking for the drunk. But failed to even sight him. They probably thought he’d gone to the bottom. And, what would they tell the police? “There’s a friend at the bottom of the river?” Perhaps they feared jail?
I can just see that drunken jackass dancing around on the edge of the bluff; “Sarah, look. Is this how your brother did it?” After his miscalculation, they knew something bad had happened. They did look in the river. And they did call her mother for advice. And they did eventually call the cops. I don’t see support for his claim that taking a drunk near someplace he could fall off constitutes actionable negligence.