Young man sues parents over bike accident that left him paraplegic.

February 25, 2016, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Landon McGauley was 15 when he was participating in a downhill mountain bike race in BC. During the race he had a bad fall in which suffered a spinal cord injury that has left the vibrant young man in a wheelchair. Mr. McGauley maintains that the race course was the cause of his accident. His position is that the track was constructed poorly, was unstable, and was too wet. These factors resulted in the loss of control of the bike.

Mr. McCauley filed suit two years ago against the resort. The resort in turn filed a third party notice against Mr. McGauley’s parents who signed the consent form for him to participate in the race. Mr. McGauley’s lawyer was then forced to add his parents to the lawsuit in order to protect him in the event his parents are held partially liable. Mr. McGauley’s parents are aware and support this course of action.

Mr. McGauley’s lawyer insists that it is not their position to prove the parents were negligent. They intend to prove it was the resort who is to blame. Both the resort and the parents have liability insurance through their commercial and homeowner policies. This will protect the parents in the event they are held liable, and also serves to highlight the importance of having a good homeowner insurance policy.

Homeowner insurance is designed to protect people in the case of loss (fire or theft for example), but also for liability such as accidents on your property, or as in this case. All renters or owners should carry a robust homeowner policy and review it regularly to make sure that the coverage is adequate for the stage of life and value of property you have. Your insurance company should be able to help you pick the right policy for your needs.

image courtesy of Landon Mcgauley's Twitter Page

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

The opinions expressed here, while intended to provide useful information, should not be interpreted as legal recommendations or advice.