VAIL, Colo.—An Eagle-Vail boy who was sued over a ski crash in 2007 is being featured in a movie trailer aimed at educating people about lawsuit abuse.
The trailer, showing in Denver-area theaters this month, is one of four made by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, as part of its national “Faces of Lawsuit Abuse” campaign.
Institute spokesman Mark Szymanski said the ads are airing across the country in an effort to inform the public about problems associated with frivolous lawsuits.
The Colorado ad tells the story of Scott Swimm, who was sued by a Pennsylvania skier over an incident on Arrowhead Mountain in January 2007. Scott was 7 at the time.
His father, Robb Swimm, said Scott tried to pass the other skier on the slopes, but the man turned, and Scott ran over his skis, causing both skiers to fall.
The Pennsylvania skier tore a tendon in his shoulder and sued Scott and his father, the Vail Daily newspaper reported. The Swimms say they’ve since agreed to a $25,000 settlement to avoid the financial and emotional tolls of going to trial.
Scott’s mother, Susan Swimm, said her family would have been ruined financially had they not had liability insurance. She said she hopes the ad campaign will make people aware of frivolous lawsuits, and that eventually legislative action will prevent other families from having to go through what hers did.
“Lawsuits are turning the American dream into a litigation horror film,” said Lisa Rickard, the institute’s president. “This movie trailer about the Swimm family’s legal nightmare warns that even those who play by the rules can still have their lives turned upside-down by costly, frivolous lawsuits.”
The other ads in the campaign also feature people who have been sued.
One shows a Washington, D.C., husband and wife who owned a dry cleaning business and were sued for $67 million over a pair of lost pants. Another features a Maryland business that was sued for $750,000 after a pair of wild geese living near the store snapped at a woman, causing her to fall.
“We hope these will make people think about lawsuits more personally,” Szymanski said. “The solution is not rushing to the courtroom every time there’s an accident, and I think the Swimms’ case shows that pretty well.”
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On the Net:
U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform,
Faces of Lawsuit Abuse ads,
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Information from: Vail Daily,
