Chet Hanks – the son of famous movie star Tom Hanks – was reportedly in a car accident in California last year with one Mr. Terry Moogan. Since that day when he rear-ended Mr. Moogan’s vehicle, he has gone to rehabilitation programs for drug and alcohol abuse and addiction, and has also admitted to his substance abuse problems.
Now Mr. Moogan has filed a lawsuit for the car accident, but the defendant is not Chet. Instead, the lawsuit holds his parents, Mr. Tom Hanks and Mrs. Rita Wilson, accountable for the personal injuries and property damage he sustained in the collision. According to the claim, Tom Hanks and his wife are at least partially liable for the accident due to the fact that they allowed Chet to use their vehicle while fully understanding that he frequently displayed dangerous behaviors of substance abuse. Evidence may eventually show that he was indeed intoxicated at the time of the crash, as Mr. Moogan claims.
Extended Liability in Personal Injury Cases
While it might be unusual for a personal injury case to be filed against someone who was not actually there at the time of a car accident, it is not entirely out of the question. Compare Chet’s accident with another type of accident and Mr. Moogan’s argument becomes clearer. For example, if you were hurt on the job while working on a construction site, you probably wouldn’t think you had to sue your coworkers; the more logical option would be to sue your employer who failed to uphold and encourage safety standards. Despite that person, or that group of executives, not being on the jobsite when the accident happened, they can be held accountable for the damages.
This recent Tom Hanks car accident lawsuit underlines the critical importance of retaining trustworthy and highly-experienced legal advocates when you need to file a lawsuit. Proving liability can be an uphill battle, especially when it is extended to parties beyond those obviously negligent, and you would not want to undertake this task without a full understanding of the law and litigation.
If you need reliable legal representation for your own car accident in Ohio, be sure to contact Rourke and Blumenthal LLC at your earliest convenience. With the help of our Columbus personal injury attorneys, you may be able to receive maximum compensation from the liable party, even if they turn out to be someone unexpected.