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8-year-old Westport boy on trial for exuberance

cigaretteman

HB King
May 29, 2001
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New York woman wants a jury to hold her 8-year-old nephew accountable for his youthful exuberance during his birthday party.

Jennifer Connell claims the boy, Sean Tarala of Westport, acted unreasonable when he leaped into her arms, causing her to fall on the ground and break her wrist four years ago. This week Connell is asking a six-member Superior Court jury to find the boy liable for his actions.

She is seeking $127,000 from the boy, who she described as always being “very loving, sensitive,” toward her. The boy is the only defendant in the case.

In court Friday, the boy, now 12 years old, appeared confused as he sat with his father, Michael Tarala, in the Main Street courtroom. The boy’s mother, Lisa Tarala, died last year.

On the witness stand before Judge Edward Stodolink, the 54-year-old Connell, a human resources manager in Manhattan, testified she loves Sean but believes he should be held accountable for her injury.

On March 18, 2011, Connell, who has no children of her own, arrived at the Tarala home at 25 Woods Grove Road to attend Sean’s birthday party.

The boy had gotten his first two-wheeler for his birthday, and was joyfully riding the bright-red bike around and around the home, according to testimony.

But when he spotted Connell, he dropped the new bicycle on the ground, exclaiming, “Auntie Jen, Auntie Jen.”

“All of a sudden he was there in the air, I had to catch him and we tumbled onto the ground,” Connell testified of her encounter with the 50-pound boy. “I remember him shouting, ‘Auntie Jen I love you,’ and there he was flying at me.”

Although hurt, Connell said, she didn’t complain to the boy at the time.

“It was his birthday party and I didn’t want to upset him,” she told the jury.

But, Connell continued, her life was turned upside down as a result of the injury.

“I live in Manhattan in a third-floor walk-up so it has been very difficult,” she said. “And we all know how crowded it is in Manhattan.”

And then there is the damage the injury has done to Connell’s social life.

“I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate,” she said.

“The injuries, losses and harms to the plaintiff were caused by the negligence and carelessness of the minor defendant in that a reasonable eight years old under those circumstances would know or should have known that a forceful greeting such as the one delivered by the defendant to the plaintiff could cause the harms and losses suffered by the plaintiff,” the lawsuit claims.

http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/8-year-old-boy-on-trial-for-exuberance-6566757.php
 
Wow... Kid's mom died earlier this year too... this lady sounds like a real peach.
 
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How the hell does a broken wrist make it difficult in a 3rd floor walk up? I might, possibly, feel some sort of sympathy for her if it was an ankle, knee injury, achilles or some other leg injury.
 
I seem to remember that, as a minor, he (his family?) can only be held liable if he acted willfully. He had to intend to injure her. HROT lawyers?
 
The only person worst than her in this situation, would be the jury if they award her anything from this kid.
 
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nd then there is the damage the injury has done to Connell’s social life.

“I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate,” she said.

After reading that I thought this has to be satire.
 
nd then there is the damage the injury has done to Connell’s social life.

“I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate,” she said.

After reading that I thought this has to be satire.


THis line made it seem like an article from the onion.
 
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If she wins there are going to be a lot of Aunts and Uncles looking for a nephew to jump in their arms.
 
Gosh maybe if my 2 year old grows up and gets some money I can sue him for head butting me.

Because I'm convinced that one of these times he's gonna break my nose.

Sad really, just really sad. I'll bet it is the insurance money because if "holding the kid accountable" was the goal then she wouldn't wait til 4 years later.

Not that an 8 year old should be held accountable with anything more then. . . Ok kid you are a little too big to be jumping into people's arms now.
 
I hope the aunt has to pay significant court costs:

A Connecticut jury on Tuesday rejected a woman's bid to sue her 12-year-old nephew for injuries she says she suffered from his exuberant greeting at his birthday party four years ago.

New York City resident Jennifer Connell claimed the Westport boy acted unreasonably when he jumped into her arms at his 8th-birthday party, causing her to fall and break her wrist. She sued in Bridgeport Superior Court for $127,000.

The Connecticut Post reports that the six-member jury found that the boy was not liable. The newspaper reported that she ignored shouted requests for comment as she passed reporters outside the courthouse.

Connell, a 54-year-old human resources manager, had testified that she loves her nephew but thinks he should be held accountable. She said when the child jumped she tumbled to the ground as she tried to catch him.

"I remember him shouting, 'Auntie Jen I love you,' and there he was flying at me," she testified.

Connell argued that her injuries severely disrupted her life in Manhattan. She told jurors last week that she was at a party recently, and "it was difficult to hold my hors d'oeuvre plate," the Post reported.

Her lawsuit said: "The injuries, losses and harms to the plaintiff were caused by the negligence and carelessness of the minor defendant in that a reasonable 8-year-old under those circumstances would know or should have known that a forceful greeting such as the one delivered by the defendant to the plaintiff could cause the harms and losses suffered by the plaintiff."

The boy, the only defendant, appeared in court with his father, Michael Tarala. A listed phone number couldn't be found for Tarala. The boy's mother died last year.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-connecticut-hug-lawsuit-20151014-story.html
 
A woman who sued her 12-year-old nephew for $127,000 over injuries she suffered when he exuberantly greeted her at his birthday party four years ago was forced to go to court over her medical bills, her lawyers said Wednesday as backlash against her on social media sites poured in.

A jury on Tuesday rejected Jennifer Connell's lawsuit, finding the boy was not liable for her injuries. She had said she broke her wrist when the Westport boy jumped into her arms at his 8th birthday party, causing her to fall.

Jainchill & Beckert, Connell's law firm, said her nephew's parents' insurance company offered her $1 over the fall, which occurred at their home. She had no choice but to sue to pay medical bills, they said, adding that she has had two surgeries and could face a third, her lawyers said.

"From the start, this was a case ... about one thing: getting medical bills paid by homeowner's insurance," the law firm said Wednesday in an emailed statement. "Our client was never looking for money from her nephew or his family."

Peter Kochenburger, an insurance law specialist at the University of Connecticut School of Law, said state law typically requires those claiming injury to sue the individual responsible.

"In Connecticut and most states, if you have a claim against someone for negligence, you sue that individual, not the insurance company," he said.

Connell's lawsuit said her "injuries, losses and harms" were caused by the negligence and carelessness of the youngster, who should have known his "forceful greeting" would have injured her. A six-member Superior Court jury found that the boy was not liable.

Jainchill & Beckert said Connell, a 54-year-old human resources manager from New York City, is being attacked on social media and has "been through enough."

On Twitter, she has been vilified as a terrible aunt, the most hated woman in America and an awful human being.

Many took aim in particular at her statement to jurors, reported by the Connecticut Post, that because of her injury she could not easily hold an hors d'oeuvre plate at a recent party.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-woman-sues-nephew-20151014-story.html
 
A woman who sued her 12-year-old nephew for $127,000 over injuries she suffered when he exuberantly greeted her at his birthday party four years ago was forced to go to court over her medical bills, her lawyers said Wednesday as backlash against her on social media sites poured in.

A jury on Tuesday rejected Jennifer Connell's lawsuit, finding the boy was not liable for her injuries. She had said she broke her wrist when the Westport boy jumped into her arms at his 8th birthday party, causing her to fall.

Jainchill & Beckert, Connell's law firm, said her nephew's parents' insurance company offered her $1 over the fall, which occurred at their home. She had no choice but to sue to pay medical bills, they said, adding that she has had two surgeries and could face a third, her lawyers said.

"From the start, this was a case ... about one thing: getting medical bills paid by homeowner's insurance," the law firm said Wednesday in an emailed statement. "Our client was never looking for money from her nephew or his family."

Peter Kochenburger, an insurance law specialist at the University of Connecticut School of Law, said state law typically requires those claiming injury to sue the individual responsible.

"In Connecticut and most states, if you have a claim against someone for negligence, you sue that individual, not the insurance company," he said.

Connell's lawsuit said her "injuries, losses and harms" were caused by the negligence and carelessness of the youngster, who should have known his "forceful greeting" would have injured her. A six-member Superior Court jury found that the boy was not liable.

Jainchill & Beckert said Connell, a 54-year-old human resources manager from New York City, is being attacked on social media and has "been through enough."

On Twitter, she has been vilified as a terrible aunt, the most hated woman in America and an awful human being.

Many took aim in particular at her statement to jurors, reported by the Connecticut Post, that because of her injury she could not easily hold an hors d'oeuvre plate at a recent party.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-woman-sues-nephew-20151014-story.html

This still doesn't add up. She said she had to sue for homeowners insurance, but I don't think most people would expect homeowners insurance to cover medical costs in this situation. I doubt a HR manager doesn't have health insurance. Now, maybe her health insurance provider was trying to collect the costs from the homeowners insurance, but I wouldn't think that would be left to the individual to do.
 
nd then there is the damage the injury has done to Connell’s social life.

“I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate,” she said.

After reading that I thought this has to be satire.
Me too. I was like this is from The Onion....right?
 
Aside from everything posted about her sucking at life, which can't be said enough times, what also stood out to me is that the boy was 50 pounds at 8-years old.

That's not very big. At all.

OK, back to her being a horrible person. Yeah, she's a f*cking c^nt. One year after the mother died...unreal. Fitting that she would work in Human Resources.
 
Aside from everything posted about her sucking at life, which can't be said enough times, what also stood out to me is that the boy was 50 pounds at 8-years old.

That's not very big. At all.

OK, back to her being a horrible person. Yeah, she's a f*cking c^nt. One year after the mother died...unreal.
 
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