The Hulkster, Terry Bollea, and his wife, Linda, were recently sued for injuries caused by their 17-year-old son Nick Bollea in a recent auto accident. Nick Bollea was driving and crashed into a tree in Clearwater, Florida. The passenger in the car was severely injured, is permanently disabled, and will require extensive medical care for the rest of his life.
Some newspapers are claiming that the parents are being sued for liability for the car accident as the parents of Nick Bollea. Not exactly. In Florida parents are not automatically liable for full damages that their children cause in a car crash. If the parents owned the vehicle then they are liable for up to $100,000.00 in pain and suffering damages and up to $500,000.00 in special damages for medical losses and loss of earnings. Whoever signed for the Minor’s drivers license, however, is liable for 100% of the damages. Therefore whichever parent (or other adult) that signed the authorization allowing the minor to get a driver’s license in Florida is going to be charged with complete liability for the damages caused. There is a theory that if the parent’s knew or should have known that the boy was a dangerous driver but gave him a vehicle to drive despite the danger they could then be found negligent for entrusting the vehicle to the boy. Again, this is not liability as a parent, but rather is liability for their own negligence. If he was an honor student with a perfect driving record this theory would not fly. Let us hope that the Hulkster was smart enough to purchase lots of insurance, otherwise he may be liable for lots of damages. If like some celebrities he was underinsured and low on assets then, sadly, it will be us taxpayers that pay for the lifelong medical care this Iraq War Veteran will require.
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