Click above for gallery of photos released by Clearwater, Florida police
John Graziano was riding shotgun when Nick Bollea, son of famed pro wrestler Terry Bollea, a.k.a. Hulk Hogan, lost control of his modified Toyota Supra and hit a tree in Clearwater, Florida one rainy night last August. As we all know by now, Hogan's son suffered minored injuries, but Graziano suffered massive head trauma that will likely leave him hospitalized for life. The Graziano family filed a lawsuit on Monday against Terry Bollea, which claims he bears responsibility for the accident because he was aware of his son's penchant for speed and competitive racing. Police believe Nick Bollea was racing another car that night driven by his friend, Daniel Jacobs, who is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Linda Bollea, who has filed for a divorce from her husband, is the third defendant named. While the lawsuit doesn't specify an amount of money that the Graziano family is seeking, it appears they'd just like enough to cover their son's medical expenses for the rest of his life, which could amount to millions.
We're not sure who's in the right here, as we don't know whether Graziano was wearing his seatbelt at the time and, being Bollea's friend, assume he was well aware of the younger Hogan's lust for speed and competitive nature, as well. The fact that one person's life has been tragically altered is what's particularly sad, all on account of illegal street racing. How much responsibility Graziano himself or the rest of the Hogan family bears is a matter for the courts to decide.
[Source: AOL Television]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
John R @ Mar 25th 2008 2:09PM
good.
User @ Mar 25th 2008 2:33PM
Good for them. God bless that poor kid who was hospitalized. Young adults don't understand the dangers of their actions... Especially when they're behind the wheel.
Seminole @ Mar 25th 2008 3:02PM
+1
Maybe the Bollea's (Hogan') will stop living in their fantasy world.
Frick @ Mar 25th 2008 2:11PM
One of the few times that I would support a lawsuit. I'm surprised it took them so long.
Why can't they just go after the little punk? Is he underage?
Injected @ Mar 25th 2008 2:14PM
I would like to know how old Hulk's son is.
Injected @ Mar 25th 2008 2:19PM
I just looked it up and Nick Bollea was born July 27 1990, making him 17 and if he's tried as an adult, then his father should not be responsible for his adult son's actions. However if he is tried as a minor, then you could make the opposite case.
Also, it is interesting that they are basically suing the family for enabling the outcome which could imply that if you are a parent that enables a kid to shoot up his school, then the parents should then be accountable. It's interesting and I'm guessing that this case will depend on whether the judge is one of those activist type judges that takes the law into his own hands. The legal responsibility of parents enabling their children may be tied to this very case.
John @ Mar 25th 2008 2:20PM
You sue the "deep pockets." Most of the property and assets held by the family are likely in the parents' names, as are probably their insurance policies.
Mr. Oak @ Mar 25th 2008 2:21PM
I'm sure the car was registered to his dad, making him also liable.
Randy @ Mar 26th 2008 1:41PM
He could have done that in a Geo metro! Whatever he was driving he would have pushed the limits and even a GEO Metro can go 80MPH.
Why not make it illegal for kids under 21 to drive anthing with more than 8HP. That'll keep them safe! Ya know?
Yar @ Mar 25th 2008 2:12PM
He needs jail time.
Richard @ Mar 25th 2008 2:17PM
According to the web, Nick was 17 when it happened. The passenger was 22, and was also not wearing a seatbelt, according to http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2007/10/16/295543.html .
Derek @ Mar 25th 2008 5:34PM
Not wearing a seatbelt??? IMO, that makes the passenger 100% responsible for his injuries. Period. He obviously didn't care about even taking the most basic steps to protect himself.
Plus, it seems that the drivers side is more smashed than the passengers. Stands to reason that if he had his belt on his injuries would have been similar to or less severe than Hogan jr.
epilonious @ Mar 25th 2008 9:07PM
Yeah, sorry. Not wearing a seatbelt when tear-assing around in the rain in a modified Supra pretty much removes all rights to a Big Cash Settlement. He can have a lovely Darwin award as a consolation prize (if the kid somehow gets over his head injuries and procreates, however, the Darwin award gets taken away).
That being said... It would be nice if the Bollea's offered to help fund the recuperation and/or care. This was their kid's friend after all.
Cameron @ Mar 25th 2008 2:18PM
Hogan's kid and his actions are a metaphor for every upper middle class white kid in America. Entitlement without work is a widespread problem among suburban America. Kids driving STis and Evos like they're making the payments on it, yeah right.
Regardless of what happened to his passenger, the driver needs to go to jail for driving like that on public roads.
JC @ Mar 25th 2008 2:54PM
Entitlement is not a exclusively a white or upper middle class issue.I think your post just shows your bias against white people and to people of different economic status.
I urge You to examine your motives.Perhaps your own sense of entitlement is being theatened
stealth @ Mar 25th 2008 7:08PM
@ JC
I'm a white 19 year old kid who comes from an upper middle class family and I firmly agree with Cameron; and I do think its mostly a 'white' thing at least where I live in New England. My parents bought me a car, which happens to be a Volvo. Entitlement is a huge issue combined with the lack of skill kids have driving today. Something needs to happen to correct this.
Shawn @ Mar 25th 2008 2:19PM
Well...It is his right to sue, but they should deduct a couple of millions from the judgement for getting into a car voluntarily with a street racing moron and not buckle up.
hashiryu @ Mar 25th 2008 2:37PM
Indeed
zombyboy @ Mar 25th 2008 6:57PM
Indeed squared.
boulderhorn @ Mar 25th 2008 2:20PM
Sure, the son needs to be punished, but don't go after the father. This is ridiculous. If the kid who caused the accident were just some 'regular' kid with normal parents, there would be no lawsuit or pursuit of millions of dollars. The family would be screwed just like the families of the thousands of kids who are hurt in accidents everyday. Why should the father pay for the sins of the son, just because he happens to have worked hard all of his life to make money? That's just plain greed. And don't tell me that the Hulkster is liable because he bought his kid a fast car, because these kind of accidents happen all the time in all kinds of cars. Bad driving is bad driving, period. I think that the victim's parents are just as liable, if not more so, than Hulk in this matter.
When/if i ever have a significant amount of money, it's going to be kept in trusts and corporations where it is untouchable incase of these stupid lawsuits.