FL Police Officer Sues Victim's Family

[2luvmy]

O.K. I despise playing devils's advocate but, there are always two sides to every story.

First of all I would like to extend to the family my deepest sympathy to thieir son and his relatives. It is terrible that this happened to their son and his life is and will never be the same.

But did anyone consider that in the course of doing her job, that this police officer is and was damaged that will affect her career, her earning potential and most she will most likely not be able to continue her career and retirement as a Police Officer.

The cause of the event of the boy ending up in the pool is two fold. The mother "not being aware that her son left the house, which can be "accidental" or she was busy. The homeowners, knowing that they had a young child, who could easily "leave" the house and end up in the pool.

If they did have a "fence" around the pool to protect other children, then the boy would not have been able to have access to the pool, the boy would not have been injured and he would have the same life that he had, the Officer would not have been injured.

So not having a fence is the prime cause, and I can probably "guess" that a fence was required by some by-law, as it is in my City. Not only do you need a fence in the yard, but a "child proof" fence around the pool. Some people even put a flag pole in the yard to alert the public that there is a pool.

A person is responsible for any conditions that exist on their property that may injure other people.

In the end, this "accident" may cost the Police Officer a lot of money, which she will not be compensated for unless she sues. It is not like the "victims" have to pay for it out of pocket, their insurance will cover most if not all of the costs.

Just a different point of view............

I disagree. What if they lived right outside city limits. Where I live you are only required to have a fence around the yard in the city limits. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

I believe there are certain jobs where you understand that when you take on that job you are subjected to physical risk - firefighter, police officer, EMT, construction worker, etc. If the insurance provided to her through employment was not enough then she should have taken it up with the insurance company. This woman has no business being a police officer.

This is just crazy. Next thing ya know people are going to quit calling for assitance because they might be sued!

 

[CyberLaw]

But again you come back to the cause of the water on the floor. The mother brought the child into the house, the police officer did not. All the police officer did was her job and she ends up with a broken knee(not likely in the "normal" course of events of being a police officer)and has a permanent long term injury that will affect her career and earning potential and retirement.

As I understand it the Police Officer has medical bills which she will have to pay herself. She has persistant pain and will develop arthritis. Please tell me why a person has to pay medical bills and live with persistant pain because someone "did not perform" the necessary safety audit of their property.

 

[SadieMae]

But again you come back to the cause of the water on the floor. The mother brought the child into the house, the police officer did not. All the police officer did was her job and she ends up with a broken knee(not likely in the "normal" course of events of being a police officer)and has a permanent long term injury that will affect her career and earning potential and retirement.

As I understand it the Police Officer has medical bills which she will have to pay herself. She has persistant pain and will develop arthritis. Please tell me why a person has to pay medical bills and live with persistant pain because someone "did not perform" the necessary safety audit of their property.

Scrapes, scratches, broken bones and other injuries routinely happen to police officers. All that I've named and more have happened to my sister (cop). She has fallen, been knocked down breaking up fights and the like doing her JOB. That officer might well have permant pain, but she wasn't forced to go in that line of work, so why shouldn't she pay for HER choice? Yes people are supposed to keep their property up...but when your child is dying...who worries about housekeeping before help arrives?? As far as this cop's earning career...her actions already tell me she sucks and wouldn't have gone far in the ranks anyway!

 

[cheko1]

But again you come back to the cause of the water on the floor. The mother brought the child into the house, the police officer did not. All the police officer did was her job and she ends up with a broken knee(not likely in the "normal" course of events of being a police officer)and has a permanent long term injury that will affect her career and earning potential and retirement.

As I understand it the Police Officer has medical bills which she will have to pay herself. She has persistant pain and will develop arthritis. Please tell me why a person has to pay medical bills and live with persistant pain because someone "did not perform" the necessary safety audit of their property.

If she is going to bring a lawsuit against anyone she should proceed with this against the city / township or state for not insuring her for enough money. It is the police force / city / county / state & federal government for failing to insure her properly.

When the PO accepted her job she knew without a doubt she could get hurt. Its part of the job......I'm sure if there was any merit to the severity of her injuries the insurance co would still be paying.

 

[Vegas Bride]

I feel terrible that this happened to the baby. What isn't being discussed here is how did this happen in the first place? Was there any type of fence around the pool? If there was, how did the baby get in it? If there was not, why was there not one when a baby lived there? I'm really not concerned about the police officer and her knee, to me that is trivial, what is important is there is now a baby sentenced to living in a care facility for the rest of his life who has to breath and be fed through a tube. That baby was totally dependent on the adults to provide a safe home, if they had a pool then certain precautions should have been taken.

VB

 

[Amraann]

But again you come back to the cause of the water on the floor. The mother brought the child into the house, the police officer did not. All the police officer did was her job and she ends up with a broken knee(not likely in the "normal" course of events of being a police officer)and has a permanent long term injury that will affect her career and earning potential and retirement.

As I understand it the Police Officer has medical bills which she will have to pay herself. She has persistant pain and will develop arthritis. Please tell me why a person has to pay medical bills and live with persistant pain because someone "did not perform" the necessary safety audit of their property.

Her normal risk of duty would include being shot at.... How often does an officer sue a crack head for that????

I am sorry but I disagree with your arguement here... Her bills would be paid by workmens comp or her insurance..

TO put a differing spin.... You as an officer walk into a murder scene.. You slip on blood.... So you sue the estate???

I would think that one as an officer would assume there may be blood at a murder scene and even more important that you do not step in it..
So why would another crime vary from that??

 

[PaperDoll]

:furious: :furious: :furious:
I am so tired of lawsuits I cant see straight-
she is a disgrace to the uniform & badge-- the baby is all but a vegetable, and her knee hurts.......
Dear God, give me strength

Can't agree with you more, J2... I'm sick of all these STUPID STUPID lawsuits. :boohoo:

 

[dkitty]

Can't agree with you more, J2... I'm sick of all these STUPID STUPID lawsuits. :boohoo:

I'm with you!!!

 

[Paladin]

CyberLaw,

I'm all about playing devil's advocate. Everyone on his board who has seen my posts should know that, but in this instance, I don't think there's really a good case for the officer.

I would say that's just part of the job. The family can't reasonably be expected to mop their floors in the middle of a crisis. That's what makes this whole situation and lawsuit ridiculous.

I'd like to know exactly what kind of knee injury this woman endured. I've never heard of a "broken knee". Did she break her knee cap or did she tear something like her ACL?

I'd also like to know how well of a job her orthopedic surgeon did (she should look to him first before looking at the family, doctor's insurance would pay out MUCH more than the family's). And lastly, with any knee injury there is a certain amount of physical therapy a patient must do, much of it on their own without a phystical therapist or a doctor present (think of it as homework). I'd argue that she didn't take her therapy as seriously as she could have and therefore her knee didn't heal properly.

I tore my ACL two years ago and made it my #1 priority to keep up with my physical therapy. My knee will never be the same, obviously, and there is small pain and discomfort at times, but I consider it to be in great shape because of the extra work I put in to strengthen it.

 

[imthemom]

What makes me angry is that this poor family, which is already suffering so much with the boy being hurt (and most likely suffering financially as well) is now going to have to defend themselves against this lawsuit. They have already, for all intents and purposes, lost that baby. The emotional and financial reprecussions of that is really devestating. What a self centered witch this lady is. She has no mercy.

I hope it is unfounded and frivilous and she has to pay for their legal costs also. What is wrong with her she was a police officer sent out to protect and serve the community. With a job like that you always have a risk of being hurt. I am sure if they had home owners insurance it might give her some money but in my book she is a greedy B****. I think she is going straight to hell for this one.

 

[KrisNine]

Her normal risk of duty would include being shot at.... How often does an officer sue a crack head for that????

I am sorry but I disagree with your arguement here... Her bills would be paid by workmens comp or her insurance..

TO put a differing spin.... You as an officer walk into a murder scene.. You slip on blood.... So you sue the estate???

I would think that one as an officer would assume there may be blood at a murder scene and even more important that you do not step in it..
So why would another crime vary from that??

Good post. You said what I wanted to say

 

[imthemom]

This would be like officers from 9/11 suing people they rescued because they were injured while doing so. This woman gives a bad name to police officers.

 

[MsPooh]

Do they not offer Medical insurance in LE? I would think so, and if you choose not to take it you are "opting out".

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I feel terrible that this happened to the baby. What isn't being discussed here is how did this happen in the first place? Was there any type of fence around the pool? If there was, how did the baby get in it? If there was not, why was there not one when a baby lived there? I'm really not concerned about the police officer and her knee, to me that is trivial, what is important is there is now a baby sentenced to living in a care facility for the rest of his life who has to breath and be fed through a tube. That baby was totally dependent on the adults to provide a safe home, if they had a pool then certain precautions should have been taken.

VB

That's what I want to know.

 

[Amraann]

That's what I want to know.

I would like to know it too but... does that have to do with this police officer suing them?

 

[j2mirish]

But again you come back to the cause of the water on the floor. The mother brought the child into the house, the police officer did not. All the police officer did was her job and she ends up with a broken knee(not likely in the "normal" course of events of being a police officer)and has a permanent long term injury that will affect her career and earning potential and retirement.

As I understand it the Police Officer has medical bills which she will have to pay herself. She has persistant pain and will develop arthritis. Please tell me why a person has to pay medical bills and live with persistant pain because someone "did not perform" the necessary safety audit of their property.

yea- instead of tending to a baby just pulled out of the bottom of her pool, she should have been mopping--:banghead:

 

[Jeana (DP)]

I would like to know it too but... does that have to do with this police officer suing them?

Maybe. I don't think we've heard all the facts yet, just what the reporter chose to write about.

 

[pedinurse]

O.K. I despise playing devils's advocate but, there are always two sides to every story.

First of all I would like to extend to the family my deepest sympathy to thieir son and his relatives. It is terrible that this happened to their son and his life is and will never be the same.

But did anyone consider that in the course of doing her job, that this police officer is and was damaged that will affect her career, her earning potential and most she will most likely not be able to continue her career and retirement as a Police Officer.

The cause of the event of the boy ending up in the pool is two fold. The mother "not being aware that her son left the house, which can be "accidental" or she was busy. The homeowners, knowing that they had a young child, who could easily "leave" the house and end up in the pool.

If they did have a "fence" around the pool to protect other children, then the boy would not have been able to have access to the pool, the boy would not have been injured and he would have the same life that he had, the Officer would not have been injured.

So not having a fence is the prime cause, and I can probably "guess" that a fence was required by some by-law, as it is in my City. Not only do you need a fence in the yard, but a "child proof" fence around the pool. Some people even put a flag pole in the yard to alert the public that there is a pool.

A person is responsible for any conditions that exist on their property that may injure other people.

In the end, this "accident" may cost the Police Officer a lot of money, which she will not be compensated for unless she sues. It is not like the "victims" have to pay for it out of pocket, their insurance will cover most if not all of the costs.

Just a different point of view............

shes back on the job after having her medical bills covered and loss of pay while being off work X2 months covered by her employer... end of story! you can't sue for something that might happen!

 

[pedinurse]

Scrapes, scratches, broken bones and other injuries routinely happen to police officers. All that I've named and more have happened to my sister (cop). She has fallen, been knocked down breaking up fights and the like doing her JOB. That officer might well have permant pain, but she wasn't forced to go in that line of work, so why shouldn't she pay for HER choice? Yes people are supposed to keep their property up...but when your child is dying...who worries about housekeeping before help arrives?? As far as this cop's earning career...her actions already tell me she sucks and wouldn't have gone far in the ranks anyway!

She's been there what, 12 years and is a street cop? isn't that what the article says? that's a problem?

Also, here's the thing... I would venture that people who have had "broken knees" (she needs to explain that more) or injuries that are severe are out for a LOT more than 2 months - usually three, some for 16 weeks. I'm surprised at the figure of 2 months or 8 weeks for a "broken knee", especially if healing had to be considered then if she had to do PT. She was cleared to go back after two months... it must not have been that bad. You get my drift?

I think she is milking this for all that its worth.

 

[Nova]

shes back on the job after having her medical bills covered and loss of pay while being off work X2 months covered by her employer... end of story! you can't sue for something that might happen!

Actually, I believe you can. It may not carry the same weight as a current or past injury, but this isn't the first time I've heard of a suit claiming that some action increased the probability of future harm to the plaintiff.

Jeanna's a lawyer. Am I wrong here, J?

(None of this is to say I support this silly law suit.)