“Hill Jumping” Takes the Lives of Three Teens

Another wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in connection with a December 2011 “hill jumping” accident that left three dead and two seriously injured. The lawsuit was filed against a 17-year-old girl who allowed a 14-year-old boy to drive her car, the girl’s parents, and their insurance company. The 14-year-old behind the wheel was attempting to “hill jump”, speeding over a hill to get the car to go airborne, when he lost control and rolled the vehicle. Police said the vehicle went airborne at 80 -90 mph, traveling nearly 180 feet before landing. It swerved off the road, rolled two or three times, and then hit a tree. There is no reason to believe that drugs or alcohol played a role in this fatal accident.

The investigation revealed that “hill jumping” is common, especially among teenagers who are new and inexperienced drivers or under the legal driving age. They think it is fun; a “thrill ride” like at the amusement park until something seriously goes wrong. Kids, this is dangerous stuff! Roller coasters are carefully designed by experienced engineers; park rides are tested and tested for safety and they are well-maintained for continued safety.

Losing a child is difficult, but even more difficult when it is due to a careless and reckless act that shouldn’t have been attempted in the first place. Be careful when you drive. As I stated in my post, “Ghost Riding and Other Car Stunts Are Deadly”, dated March 30, 2011, car stunts are dangerous activities; this includes “hill jumping”. A moving vehicle is not a toy! Such negligent behavior can affect your life, those of your passengers, other drivers on the road, even pedestrians. Before you decide to engage in these dangerous activities, think about the negative outcomes that could happen. There are already too many memorials on the sides of our roadways.

Mark Bello has thirty-five years experience as a trial lawyer and thirteen years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the lawsuit funding industry. He is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation which helps provide legal finance cash flow solutions and consulting when necessities of life litigation funding is needed by a plaintiff involved in pending, personal injury, litigation. Bello is a Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Association for Justice, Member of Public Justice and Public Citizen, Business Associate of the Florida, Mississippi, Connecticut, Texas, and Tennessee Associations for Justice, and Consumers Attorneys of California, member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Michigan and the Injury Board.