Plaintiff Faces Avalanche of Calls in Ski Suit Backlash
A Pennsylvania man and his wife left their home over the holidays after becoming the target of angry calls following their suit against an 8-year-old boy.
The couple claims the child, then 7, collided with David J. Pfahler while they were skiing at the Beaver Creek ski resort. They are seeking $75,000 in damages to cover medical expenses.
But fueled by media coverage and Internet chatter, their suit has become a focal point of public debate over needless litigation, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Pfahler’s lawyer, Jim Chalet, told the paper he didn’t anticipate the backlash and takes responsibility for it. He said the couple asked him to file a “low intensity” claim against the boy, Scott Swimm, and his father, Robb Swimm.
Scott’s mother, Susan Swimm and her husband are pleased with the public reaction.
“People are really angry about this, and they should be,” Susan Swimm is quoted saying. “What kind of a message are we sending to our children if we’re just going to turn around and sue after an accident on a ski slope?”
