Child broke leg on sidewalk—should I talk to the neighbor or teach my 12-year-old to pay more attention?

[Anonymous]

I just don’t understand why you’re angry. You have a 12 year old. Accidents are normal. Deal with it and move on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just don’t understand why you’re angry. You have a 12 year old. Accidents are normal. Deal with it and move on.

+1 I could see being a little angry if he were 5. But 12? No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree that my child should have seen the trashcan, but under Virginia law the real liability lies with the neighbor who left it blocking the sidewalk for over three days. Property owners must remove their carts promptly, and leaving one in the middle of a public walkway creates a clear hazard.

Furthermore, Virginia’s contributory-negligence rules protect children under 14: those under seven cannot be held negligent at all, and children aged seven to fourteen are presumed incapable of contributory negligence unless it can be proven they knew of and disregarded a risk.

My point is, shouldn’t the neighbor also learn a lesson about keeping the sidewalk clear?

No. And your method of parenting is not going to be good for your kid. Did you even read the comments. What if it had been small child playing on the sidewalk that he plowed into?

[Anonymous]

I’d get his eyes checked

[Anonymous]

Was he on his phone? I see kids of all ages who have phones pedaling and scrolling away. I could see the accident happening in that situation.

[Anonymous]

This can’t be real.

[Anonymous]

You should be grateful that your careless and or reckless kid only hit a trash can. Your neighbor might have done you a favor by revealing that your kid is an inconsiderate and dangerous cyclist.

-bike commuter

[Anonymous]

I don’t think you should allow your child to ride a bike anymore if they can’t see or steer around large objects

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you should allow your child to ride a bike anymore if they can’t see or steer around large objects

+1

In my belief, you should just chalk this up as an accident and move on, but if you are insistent that someone learn their lesson, your son is the obvious one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn’t they ask for details the hospital or your insurance sends a note asking if it was an accidental injury and some details? I thought they always do this for those reason. I don’t think I’d personally pursue the neighbor since your medical insurance covered it and it doesn’t sound like he is going to have lasting disability from it. But it pass along the info and pictures to my insurance, if asked, and they can pursue a settlement with the homeowner’s insurance if they deem necessary

The question is whether it's an auto accident or work-related.

No, not only that. That want to know if they can blame someone else. In OP’s case, they likely will. OP, you should be receiving a form in time with some questions about the nature of the injury and how it happened, as someone will eventually review your medical claim in more detail. Just answer honestly and let it play out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think you should allow your child to ride a bike anymore if they can’t see or steer around large objects

+1

In my belief, you should just chalk this up as an accident and move on, but if you are insistent that someone learn their lesson, your son is the obvious one.

True. And as a parent of teen boys, I don’t think it is necessary to say much at all here, and certainly a lecture is going to be taken poorly by said tween boy and neighbor. The broken leg speaks for itself and taught its own lesson. Sometimes it is best for the parent to be quiet and let it.

Getting him “pain and suffering” money would teach him the ENTIRELY wrong lesson!

[Anonymous]

Was your neighbor away from home those 3 days the can wasn't put away? Are they disabled, old, sick?
OP you are quite the little code citer. It's obvious you want neighbor to pay bills and pay for pain and suffering. So let your insurance companies duke it out.
What's being the neighborhood pariah compared to justice, eh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your 12 year old ran his bike into a trash can. Yes that is 100% his fault. Do not raise it with your neighbor.

+1

[Anonymous]

Seriously? Teach your kid to look where they bike/walk/run. The kid is 12, not 1.

[Anonymous]

I mean if he hit a a trash can he could hit a pedestrian. When I was in college the town was super strict about riding bikes on the sidewalk because a high-schooler had knocked down an old lady and she'd died from rhe fall.

He sounds like a very risky rider.