I-Team: Wrongful death verdict against Durhamtown will 'take years' to collect

By Claire Simms
Published June 15, 2022
GREENE COUNTY, Ga. - In April a Greene County jury awarded $22 million to the family of a man who died at Durhamtown Off Road Park, but according to the family's attorney, collecting that money will be a lengthy process.
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[@whbjHarley68]

The owner shouldn’t have been knocking down trees while riders were present, period!

[@rfiskillingussoftly6568]

Durhamtown is magical, anything that awesome..is always under attack" I'll bet a dollar to a donut...the Doctor wouldn't want the facility to get in trouble" people that ride....dream of this facility...its where riders would choose to die" Don't get on the fear band wagon! Support the pursuit of happiness! Do what you luv to do...do it often! Then if you die" cause people die" death might come while you are doing what you luv to do! Make sense...?

[@thegan9143]

Mike was using an excavator near a trail, didn't think to close the trail and apparently knocked a tree over killing the doctor as he rode through the trail. Had this guy just crashed then that is part of the risk you assume, but he didn't. To have that level of negligence and ignorance leading to the death of an innocent person isn't an acceptable risk. It has nothing to do with the fear band wagon. Mike is a good ol boy but isn't competent when it comes to safe practices other than doing his best to dodge paying out for his crimes.

[@rfiskillingussoftly6568]

@@thegan9143 ya I get that... It was still an accident" and the Doc still died doing what he loved to do" Its a shame all the way around!

[@thegan9143]

@@rfiskillingussoftly6568 I understand it wasn't intentional but risk mitigation in this case, operating heavy equipment and pushing over dead trees onto an operating trail without closing the trail is not an accident, it is pure negligence. It was either out of laziness and rolling the dice with other people's lives which is arrogant in the extreme, or pure ignorance from being too dumb to anticipate the obvious risks. Mike killed that man in an accident that was 100% avoidable and now he is doing his utmost to avoid compensating the family.

[@paulwatson5965]

Tell that to the family of the doctor. What if it were your family? Make sense?

[@paulwatson5965]

Seems to be a lot of “accidents “ there…🤔🤔

[@rfunder12]

Just left there Saturday, best place to ride ever. They have alot of things cleaned up and running good!

[@b2b545]

Why was he knocking down trees right next to a path where they ride on an open day? Lol, doesn't seem very smart.

[@endurox1481]

If a rider makes an error, takes a fall, and gets hurt I completely agree that it is the fault of the rider and it's the risk we all assume every time we jump on a bike. That said, if you're on your bike, riding along and a tree falls on you due to a piece of heavy equipment then that is pure negligence and goes beyond the risk we all take every time we ride. The heavy equipment operator should be held liable. That part of the trail should have been closed off while work was being done. This is no different than if someone was at a big box store, and a fork lift caused a pallet to fall on someone and the store did not block the aisle off where the fork lift was being operated. All that said, I am glad the park is still open. My son and I want to go there. It would be unfortunate if this facility had to close due to the negligence of one person. This is a high risk sport, and people get hurt all the time and sadly people sometimes die. This is the risk we all assume every time we put on our gear and jump on our bikes.

[@jwcivccc]

I've ridden there. Great place. Past owner was dumb apparently.

[@jamesawlker1670]

It's the same people running it as before.... they just swapped the ownership to another family member to dodge this. No change

[@dylanhead3820]

Bro. Still the same owner. His son was passed the business to cover this up.

[@GodBlessedAmerica]

Millions of dollars will not bring anyone back. I don’t know how they even come to that ridiculous amount of money.

[@mariomejia9993]

anything can happen in a place like this.....we all sign the waiver !!!the lawyer is mad because no money for him....

[@sgardi2]

Anyone who goes out there knows the risk. Did this ambulance chaser go after the manufacturer of the bike as well?

[@larryhanes8527]

I’m riding narrow trails in my own property by myself. Handlebar bumped a 30 ft dead tree…. it broke at the base and fell into me. Pinned the bike and i tore an Achilles tendon trying to get the bike out. Sh*t happens! I didn’t sue anybody!

[@McTwistedTwisties]

how does an off road park not have liability insurance?

[@Chad-v4j]

It’s called ride at your own risk

[@McTwistedTwisties]

@@Chad-v4j so if six flags says you ride at your own risk and a worker at six flags drops a bowling ball on your head while you're on a ride, it is still your own risk that you accepted? If I'm at a 4x4 park, yes, if I go too fast and hit a tree that's one thing, but if they cut a tree down in front of you while you're riding and didn't know that was going to happen, you're going to need all the liability you can get. It's the cost of doing any kind of business.

[@outkast187]

They did have insurance, its required.

[@Psy6o]

Who would cover them

[@flydaddy55]

I have operated equipment for many years, I knock down a lot of trees... I like to ride off road too... I see someone operating equipment on an active trail with no caution tape or cones or barrels and I can't help but think operator error. That bike rider never had a chance.

[@jameschastain6513]

The tree was clearly dead he probably wasn’t trying to knock that tree down. A tree that was that decomposed the vibrations from the tractor alone could have made it fall.

[@danielarney9729]

Just a terrible accident, they both love what they do. Can't we just have accidents in life anymore without lawyers twisting things up for their own personal gain. Yeah any rider would have been pissed, but none of us would want the man to carry a burden, or for his place of escape for himself and 1000s of others to ever be shut down. The news media paints a picture that sells commercials. The people that pass here would probably love to be buried here with a small memorial for all the people that died in their glory. Do dirt bike/ORV lovers need to boycott fox news.

[@Slitthroat1776]

Everyone should understand if there are risks that come with this type of fun.

[@infinitycosmos4723]

Can someone explain how they are getting by without paying for damages? And how does closing and opening under a new name put them in the clear? How is the insurance company not getting a letter stating the verdict and then their responsibility is to pay out, no matter what, on the person/place insured?

[@paulwatson5965]

It’s called the good ole boy policy..!

[@jimh2061]

What a terrible accident!

[@Psy6o]

Sad but the place was the best place in the south by far

[@jnorth5689]

Bs hit piece . You sign a waiver at any Moto park

[@e5m956]

But in this case the owner knocked a tree over with an excavator which killed the person so it wasn't the riders fault in this case. If working on an area the section needs to be closed while work is performed. This is much different than falling and getting hurt at your own will.

[@moto_tech_braap_itout9852]

Learn how to ride people simple , watch your surroundings .

[@jamesawlker1670]

The tree was knocked by the excavator directly on the track as he rode by. Striking in the head. Came out of nowhere. Was probably going fast on the track. There's no time to react to a tree coming at you from above.

[@gmodesike]

You obviously didn't watch the video as your comment here is completely off point.

[@danielmembrillo6472]

@@gmodesike How is his comment off point? That is exactly what happened.

[@BlueRidgeBraaaps]

What an idiot comment. He's still incompetent with heavy equipment

[@WASTED__POTENTIAL]

@@danielmembrillo6472 He was saying the original comment about learning to ride was off point.

[@tiffnybrock945]

How does a tree strike you??

[@tinytruckin4096]

Owner was clearing trees beside the race track and hit the tree over on top of the rider

[@SKG1941]

I completely hate this man died. However, when you go to Atv Park, you have signed a waiver saying that you will accept any accidents that happen. Now, if it was malicious damage done on purpose, you should be paid. However, much we feel sorry for the victim., this owner should not be held responsible. If we keep doing this, no one will have an ATV PARK, which I’m sure would make a certain group very happy. But us in the ATV community know the risk, except the risk and are willing to deal with the fallout. Ask anyone that rides. Not some pencil neck POS. Every second I hear this, Lawyer speaking, all I hear is money, money, money, money, money. It makes me sick. God bless the owners and we all know the park will be closing because people died doing exactly what they wanted to do.

[@GeorgiaRidgerunner]

this was gross negligence on the owners part he should have closed the trail untill the tree was down and removed ive been in the tree removal business before and i can tell you cutting live trees is dangerous but are controllable dead trees like the one in the video are even more dangerous and often are uncontrollable as they have a tendency to break into pieces when theyre bumped with a backhoe or have a rope/cable tied to them lastly the owners on rule stated that the trail was to be closed but it wasnt that was negligence on the owners part the lawsuit is justified however i feel like the amount is ludicrously excessive

[@hangingwithhenry221]

you know the risk every time you throw your leg over that seat.. im 50 and race motocross, you know what the risks are 100%, and he was a dr. he knew.. ive been going there for 30 yrs best place in the south...

[@ratcat2096]

Act of Nature ? God’s way of Taking People We All Have A Time n Place , just lost a Great Long Time Friend two months ago - Widow Maker ? No One Persons FAULT - GODS HAND TAKING An Angle - No Ones Fault