Lawnmower death prompts parents to file $6 million lawsuit

The parents of a small boy killed when a riding lawn mower ran over him have filed a $6 million lawsuit that seeks answers and accountability for the accident.

Justin Simmons was playing unsupervised in the back yard of a home-based day care center in Botetourt County the morning of April 22 when he wandered into the path of the lawn mower as it backed down a slope.

The 4-year-old died of massive head injuries.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Roanoke Circuit Court places the blame for the accident on four defendants:

MTD Products, the Cleveland-based company that manufactured the lawn mower; Lowe's Home Center, the store that sold it; Orvil Reedy, the man who operated it the day of the accident; and Reedy's wife, Roberta, who was caring for Justin at a day care business run from her Daleville home.

"The parents of Justin are really looking for some accountability and they want to make sure something like this does not happen again," said Roanoke attorney Brent Brown, who represents Ron and Kristie Simmons.

The proceedings could shed light on what might have been done to prevent Justin's death and others like it.


http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke\12487.html

Its the DayCare operators fault and possible the OPERATOR of the mower not the mower company!!!!!!!!!!

Yet another fool who thinks they are going to win the "lawsuit lottery." What about the day care provider? Why was he unsupervised? When will people learn that frivolous lawsuits are ruining this country? Who do these people think pays for this? The consumer...through higher prices! I am so #$%^ sick of reading about these stupid lawsuits!

Lawsuits like this should not be allowed. It's like sueing the manufacturer of an oven because you got burnt. Mowers are dangerous, that is a fact. It is the responsibility of the adults in charge of the child to keep the child safe.