LeMans Corporation

Pahrump, NV: (May-11-07) Joseph Provenza, 19, of Pahrump, filed a personal injury lawsuit against the LeMans Corporation of Wisconsin, after he suffered massive injuries in 2001 while riding a Yamaha dirt bike with his uncle and cousin. The incident took place after jumping on the bike; Provenza fell and was soaked in fuel when the bike hit the ground and the gas tank ruptured. The heat from the engine, which was still running, caused the gas to ignite. Provenza was consumed by flames and reportedly ran around the area, leaving a trail of fire in the brush. The suit claimed that the LeMans-manufactured clothing Provenza was wearing at the time, nylon polyester pants and a cotton shirt, were not fire retardant. Since the clothing was specially designed for motorcross racing, the suit argued that it should have been fire retardant. Provenza's mother claimed that it was seven months before he was taken off a ventilator, and in the meantime he suffered from a number of complications, including heart and kidney problems. He'd already had 35 surgeries and was slated to have part of his foot amputated. In a settlement reached, Provenza was awarded $41.5 million. Including interest would make the figure anywhere between $52 and $55 million. The jury stipulated that the money had to be specifically allocated among Provenza's past and future medical expenses, although some was awarded to compensate for lack of future earning potential, pain, suffering, and disability. [PAHRUMP VALLEY TIMES: CLOTHING FIRE]

Legal Help

If you have a similar problem and would like to be contacted by a lawyer at no cost or obligation, please click the link below.
Published on May-29-07