JupiterSunsation
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Moroso is a local track, recently remodeled and called the Palm Beach Raceway. Group that bought it is well funded and has definitely upgraded the facility. It has a road course, drag strip and go cart track. Kid (age 9) goes there with his own cart and has an accident. Cart rolled, kid badly burned- lost all ten fingers. Now family is suing the track.......
Kid is hurt/ changed for life but HIS DAD BROUGHT HIM THERE TO DRIVE HIS OWN CART!
Here is the article:
Pompano boy severely burned, lost all 10 fingers in go-kart crash at Palm Beach International Raceway; suit seeks damages
By Brian Haas
Sunsentinel.com
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
JUPITER -- — The family of a 9-year-old Pompano Beach boy critically injured in a go-kart accident has filed a negligence lawsuit against the Palm Beach International Raceway and the manufacturers of the go-kart.
The suit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, stems from a May accident in which a go-kart crashed, flipped and then caught fire. The boy, Devin Olmstead, became trapped and was critically injured with severe burns. Devin survived, but not without losing all 10 fingers and suffering burns from his chin to his torso, the lawsuit says.
Named as defendants in the case are the race track, its investors, and the companies that made the go-kart and its engine, Carter Brothers and Briggs & Stratton, respectively. The suit seeks unspecified damages, but Robert Zimmerman, who represents the Olmsteads, said a judgment could be substantial.
"It's going to be in the eight figures," Zimmerman said. "It would be based on his past pain and suffering, which is incredible, given that his fingers were burned from his hands. You just can't imagine the pain this child went through."
The law firm representing the Palm Beach International Raceway, Hoffman & Morris, declined to comment when reached Monday. Carter Brothers, Briggs & Stratton and their respective attorneys could not be reached to comment, despite attempts by phone.
On May 25, Devin and his father, Donald Olmstead, went to the raceway west of Jupiter with a go-kart they owned. The lawsuit said Devin hit uneven pavement while racing, causing his go-kart to flip and burst into flames. Zimmerman said it was a bystander, not race track staff members, who pulled Devin from the wreckage.
The lawsuit accuses the raceway of having poorly maintained surfaces, no adult supervision that day, no fire extinguishers and no phones nearby for emergencies. It accuses Carter Brothers and Briggs & Stratton of designing a go-kart that dangerously leaks fuel when inverted.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has an ongoing investigation into the go-kart's design.
On Sunday, a motorcycle rider was critically injured during a professional event at the raceway when his bike smashed into a wall. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office identified him as Isidro Castillo, 32, of Miami. He remained in critical condition Monday at St. Mary's Medical Center, hospital officials said.
Zimmerman said the Olmstead family isn't ready to speak publicly about the ordeal. Devin has been remarkably resilient and upbeat since he was injured, he said.
"He's doing the best he can," Zimmerman said. "But you just can't imagine the pain this child went through. ... His whole life is changed."
Kid is hurt/ changed for life but HIS DAD BROUGHT HIM THERE TO DRIVE HIS OWN CART!
Here is the article:
Pompano boy severely burned, lost all 10 fingers in go-kart crash at Palm Beach International Raceway; suit seeks damages
By Brian Haas
Sunsentinel.com
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
JUPITER -- — The family of a 9-year-old Pompano Beach boy critically injured in a go-kart accident has filed a negligence lawsuit against the Palm Beach International Raceway and the manufacturers of the go-kart.
The suit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, stems from a May accident in which a go-kart crashed, flipped and then caught fire. The boy, Devin Olmstead, became trapped and was critically injured with severe burns. Devin survived, but not without losing all 10 fingers and suffering burns from his chin to his torso, the lawsuit says.
Named as defendants in the case are the race track, its investors, and the companies that made the go-kart and its engine, Carter Brothers and Briggs & Stratton, respectively. The suit seeks unspecified damages, but Robert Zimmerman, who represents the Olmsteads, said a judgment could be substantial.
"It's going to be in the eight figures," Zimmerman said. "It would be based on his past pain and suffering, which is incredible, given that his fingers were burned from his hands. You just can't imagine the pain this child went through."
The law firm representing the Palm Beach International Raceway, Hoffman & Morris, declined to comment when reached Monday. Carter Brothers, Briggs & Stratton and their respective attorneys could not be reached to comment, despite attempts by phone.
On May 25, Devin and his father, Donald Olmstead, went to the raceway west of Jupiter with a go-kart they owned. The lawsuit said Devin hit uneven pavement while racing, causing his go-kart to flip and burst into flames. Zimmerman said it was a bystander, not race track staff members, who pulled Devin from the wreckage.
The lawsuit accuses the raceway of having poorly maintained surfaces, no adult supervision that day, no fire extinguishers and no phones nearby for emergencies. It accuses Carter Brothers and Briggs & Stratton of designing a go-kart that dangerously leaks fuel when inverted.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has an ongoing investigation into the go-kart's design.
On Sunday, a motorcycle rider was critically injured during a professional event at the raceway when his bike smashed into a wall. The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office identified him as Isidro Castillo, 32, of Miami. He remained in critical condition Monday at St. Mary's Medical Center, hospital officials said.
Zimmerman said the Olmstead family isn't ready to speak publicly about the ordeal. Devin has been remarkably resilient and upbeat since he was injured, he said.
"He's doing the best he can," Zimmerman said. "But you just can't imagine the pain this child went through. ... His whole life is changed."
