$200,000 Settlement - Middle Schooler Takes and Crashes Parents' Utility Vehicle - Eye Injury to Passenger

A middle school boy removed his parents Polaris utility vehicle and took a joyride with a friend. The parents were not home at the time and commonly left the key in the vehicle's ignition. His inexperience operating this recreational vehicle caused him to roll the vehicle resulting in a severe injury to his passenger. Attorney Shelley Graves represented the injured minor who required two surgeries to his eye. The claims were made against the minor driver for his negligence in taking and operating the utility vehicle and against his parents for their negligent failure to properly secure the utility vehicle from unsupervised use by their minor son. A settlement was reached before trial with the homeowner's insurance company for the parents in the amount of $200,000.