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That’s exactly right. Well said.
You are so full of shit its not even funny anymore.
Bring on the baloney and kool aid! If you are dealing with the feds, take the deal.🤬
Was there ever an explanation provided as to why the corner in question wasn’t altered to provide more room for error after it was reported as a concern? Did an official from the track staff decide it was not an issue? If the drop off was as extreme as what was reported in the opening of this thread, that seems a bit nuts to me.
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LACR has never once mentioned any other parties or circumstances of the suit. That was all Rich Taylor damage control as evidenced in the initial post of this thread, years after the settlement.
Overall, given the history of the respective parties, LACR been consistently forthcoming with whatever information they could, and Taylor had been anything but.
At one point I believe one of the higher ups there decided it was fine.
I do know the higher ups also told many others including my father it was a non issue when it was brought to their attentions weeks before as a precaution.
Not arguing with you here, just trying to clarify some points and find some resolution. They’ve brought up the lawsuit (from eight years ago) and mentioned a few recent ones that they say probably ended their "affordable" insurance options. Fair enough, but if they agreed to settle, why keep bringing it up? And leaking details to Cooksey, whether by them or someone close, could be a breach of that agreement.
What’s frustrating is they haven’t explained why they’re not accepting support that’s been offered like event/insurance options or hosting race events. Meanwhile, they are accepting donations, but there’s no clarity on how that money is being used. Maybe operating a business is really not their forte.
Why not just reincorporate under a new name, go member-only, or become AMA-sanctioned? Other tracks have done it. There are options. At some point, the excuses need to stop and action needs to start if they ever want to reopen. There are some smart people in this industry that should be able to guide them to form a new business entity or at least give legalzoom a shot for $99 a month.
No dog in the fight (but this effects evryone of us in all corners of the world - US and CAN in my case)
But if someone is suing a track owner when a rider whiskey's over an obstacle ! ! ! YIKES - we go jumps, downhills, step downs etc etc. it's open season or at least have a go with a lawsuit ! ! The tracks owners must be on pins and needles.......not sure i'd want my family to take the risk.
Exactly. It sets an ugly precedent.
Are you a lawyer, yes or no?
Matthes didn't say that.
He said a judge and the American court system awarded Taylor, and found the track negligent -- none of which are even close to true regardless of what is in any NDA.
I'll ask again, are you a lawyer?
Seems like you are playing loose with some terms here. While the track might not have been found negligence via a court judgement, it could be the case that there was enough evidence to find that LACR would lilely be negligence if it had gone to a judgement.
The NDA is important here, and while Matthes might have spoken naively, his point is clear.
It seems some are playing loose with the term negligence. This is the US where people have been awarded large sums of money due to their coffee being hot and they spilled it on themselves. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and pay to make a problem go away. The fact is RT sued a track for giving his son a place to race after signing a waiver saying he understood the risk involved. What difference does it make if Dirtypoints is a lawyer?
It is a bowl turn... A literal berm. No jumps anywhere near the entrance to said berm either. It is likely everyone's favorite corner on the track. Blaming a bowl turn (as safe as this one) for an accident is nuttier than squirrel poop.
There is a reason they have nets on bowl turns in sx.
In some countries that are a bit more aware of what they can actually cause, they are forbidden unless there is a fence (net). Berms need to have a minimum 20 inches almost 90 degree edge if there is need for one.
So in my opinion, this is the tracks fault. They were aware of the issue, they didn't fix it despite being told it was an issue, and now they pay the price because that's the country you live in.
Not fixing it knowing this could happen (incl lawsuit) is what killed the track. Not the lawsuit itself.
By your logic, tracks should be flat (DEFINITELY no jumps), circles, with padded walls in the corners. That corner is awesome, the accident was just that.
Please explain how it's the track's fault, when RT (1) signed a waiver and accepted the risk of riding at the track, and (2) was aware of the corner in question and decided to let his son ride there regardless.
Seems to me RT was not only aware of the risk, but he also clearly accepted it. Given this, I don't quite see how it can possibly be the track's fault.
Seriously trying to understand your perspective, so anything additional you can offer would be helpful. Thanks.
Pit Row
No, in more developed countries, communities and tracks you build away or redesign the high risk elements.
Bowl turns is one off them.
Just because you don't have the experience to distinguish between high, medium, low or no risk elements doesn't mean other can't.
Can you show me or tell me what risk mitigation and analyse the track had taken to come up with that that's a safe corner? Better, just send me the date when an external track safety officer last visited and went over the track. Or from which safety manual they built the track?
If not, then stop crying like a bitch that tracks are getting shut down because insurance won't deal with them.
The attitude you and other in this thread have, is what is causing this. Not a fucking lawsuit that highlights what a shit show it is behind the scenes.
I believe the issue is people who do not accept responsibility for their own actions, and instead leverage our screwed up legal system to place blame on others.
You sound like you need a safe space. Thank god it is Friday, have a beer dude.. I didn't know there was committees and risk mitigation organizations 'in more developed countries', or 'external track safety officers' that could get involved. It is a shame DC doesn't chime in here anymore for clarity, because apparently according to you, we are living in the ice age here in the US, and all of our track problems could be solved bureaucratically, I bet the government could solve this dilemma.
Either way, that corner was awesome, perfectly safe, and what happened to Taylor, was an accident on a motocross track.
Well that's up to the laws and praxis right? And the law suit is going through, or they want to settle because chances of winning is slim. So that's the answer. If court or parties feel it's clear that RT should have done further due diligence, fine. But seem like not. Track is aware of that being a risk. Track is aware of being on a thin line with insurance companies. Still chose to so nothing.
It's the land of the free. They chose to leave the track as is, RT chose to race it. RT chose to sue and comes out on top.
Track should be glad no one went over that drop and died.
There is no fucking way I would have approved that corner in a security audit. Take down the bowl turn or put up a fence. If it wasn't RT-family, just a matter of time before someone else goes over it. So this "he shouldn't have raced" isnt solving anything.
All I'm saying is, this trend of insurance companies backing out, it's not on the riders. The tracks have become comfortable and/or not keeping up and are a not doing what is the reasonable effort to keep riders safe.
If you purchase X-Brand you're an idiot.
You stated "Track is aware of that being a risk. Track is aware of being on a thin line with insurance companies. Still chose to so nothing."
I disagree that they did nothing. What they did do was have the rider sign a waiver which probably stated something along the lines of "I understand motocross is a dangerous sport, I could be hurt or killed riding this track, and I accept that risk, and will not hold the track liable if I do get hurt/killed."
RT signed that form, and subsequently reneged on that agreement when his kid got hurt. That's the problem - not the fact that the track owner didn't engage a safety committee, put up a fence, do a security audit, modify the bowl turn, etc.
Child protective services should probably be called on RT for endangering his child with his decision to let him race. Of course doing that makes about as much sense as his decision to sue…
lol, 20” 😂😂😂 Sorry we have naturally formed berms over 20” on most corners, really would like to see some pictures of tracks that meet your safety standards
Hi Rich
You lost me at "In more developed countries" That is down right ridiculous!
For all of you attacking Matthes around this, call into his show Monday and talk about live on air using your real name. You won't, but you should if you want to discuss this instead of typing away.
This is what I mean. Ignorance. Like it's ok, but stop complaining when others has had regulations for 15 years how to avoid accidents. But US wants to stand on its own. Track owners just now starting to realize the strength of one unified organization, 20 years behind others.
There is a reason why it's 20" and a certain degree. Its kind of obvious if you look at how bikes are designed.
No wonder things go sideways.
Post a reply to: Statement from Rich Taylor (LACR Lawsuit)