What is the latest condition of the Barber instructor injured?

[Les Quam]

When I was racing in the Barber Dodge series the instructors were there at each event and one was injured in a neon while riding as a passenger with a student around the track in between races. I was told by other instructors that they were paid as independent contractors and most Skippy instructors were not employee's of Skip Barber. This policy may have changed since Skip Barber sold the company? But if still in effect the instructor may have been an independent contractor at VOI9?

 

[JonB]

Voi-nine Instructor Lawsuit Ends, Four Years Later

YEARS-OLD THREAD......


As VOI-11 comes to a safe and happy end, remember 4 years ago?

I have just been informed by the VCA Member who was sued by the injured VOI-9 instructor in this thread, (for 1.5 mil) that:

""the judge in Las Vegas threw out the lawsuit against me today granting a motion for summary judgement. The judge seemed to concentrate on our theory that the plaintiff was employed in a hazardous venture and had assumed the risk.""

 

[RHearn]

I was told by my friend at VOI11 that there instructor on the track stated that the Viper club had a bad reputation as far as doing nothing for the instructor at VOI9. I have not had any information untill Jon B made this post. I think the club is getting a bad rap on this and it bothers me. It seems that no information has led to a lot of us wondering what happened as an end result to this sad accident. I would like to have those who have the info post it as I DO NOT like the club having a bad rap on this. I think this is the best club in America and want it to stay that way. RH

 

[KenH]

Here are the basics on the accident since the case is now over.

The road course was setup so that you would run a lap of the big oval and then take a hard left onto a roadcourse setup in the center of the oval, wind around a bit and then you would go back up onto the big oval for another lap.

The instructor in the Viper that wrecked was telling the driver to brake later and later on the turn-in from the big oval to the inside road track past where the driver felt comfortable but figured the instructor knew what he was talking about. Eventually the braking was late enough that the tires wouldn't hold during the turn-in and they slide sideways into a poorly placed barricade, totally the Viper and injuring the instructors foot.

The instructor was at least partially responsible for the wreck. He then originally sues for $8M for loss of part of a big toe and drags the driver through the mud for 4 years over this until justice finally prevailed.

We took 6 Vipers to VOI 9 and came back with 5. The idea that the VCA should have a bad rap over this incident is laughable IMO.

My recommendation is to quit listening to friends that listen to some random instructor that has a personal opinion of some event from 4 years ago that they probably weren't even at.

 

[RHearn]

I was at VOI 9 and 10 and 11 and have not had all the info on what happened. Your comment showes a few of us how people take these posts a little personal and cannot states the facts for info but must degrade others to make themselves fill better. Thanks for the info but you could keep your last comment to your self. Some people do care about the club and not there own thoughts about how things should be. I care about the club member an the instructor just the same but without the info it is not possable to know the whole story. I will keep my opinion to my self and not try to do what others do.

 

[01sapphirebob]

Gotta love the legal system. Took four years to get this settled. I remember when this happened. I met the driver involved in the accident the night before it happend.

 

[JonB]

Originally, the VCA took up several collections hoping to help the instructor. The FL VCA prez visited him, and his family. As an instructor I was very sympathetic, and tossed some cash in the jug at Vegas. JRT was collecting. The suit came quickly, and even named the NV VCA initially. "Cooler heads" prevailed (on this website in fact} The person who yelled "LET'S WAIT A MINUTE" is a close friend and had even cautioned my vegas-cash donation. [Sending money might have been tantamount to admitting guilt.] Collecting of funds ceased, and money / checks returned where it could be identified.

This suit was covered in Sports Car Market 'LEGAL FILES', and our own ACR-Steve was extensivley quoted in the article. It was posted here day of release.

Some of the claims were pretty outlandish: Loss of Affection was even claimed, since the toe-loss injury supposedly affected his 'private' life as well as his driving skills. As it turned out, the member's insurance (Allstate) covered the members legal bills, and the injured instructor ended up with NO proceeds from the suit, not even the $500k that Allstate had offered early-on. Nothing. I dont know what he got from workers-comp/barber, IF anything...

The OR member bought a great ORECA-replica GTS, (Allstate covered) and PartsRack bought the organ donor ACR.

VOI-10 was no instructors....pace and chase with Petty instructors leading. The only changes I noticed in VOI-11 track sessions was the "NO PASSING" rule. We each got the 4 laps x 2 as predicted, but there were no point-byes happening. Red Group divers mixed with Green, Yellow, for some very slow parades. Hopefully the open-track 1/2 day Sunday quenched your needs.... VOI-11 Bondurant instructors were very friendly, very complimentary, and quite appreciative of small gestures of thanks and respect.....like harness-assistance.

You gotta be a bit goofy to get in a 600 HP car with an unknown stranger driving it. Guilty!

 

[markk]

Some of the claims were pretty outlandish: Loss of Affection was even claimed, since the toe-loss injury supposedly affected his 'private' life as well as his driving skills.

The 'loss of affection' thing is common in lawsuits. My father was a passenger in a car that slid off the road on ice. He was hurt from the impact of hitting a tree. His insurance company went after the driver's insurance and one of the claims was LoA. Since we're talking about my dad, I didn't ask if it was true but he's still waiting for a settlement.