Plaintiffs Seek $100M in Motorboat Accident

An Indiana couple is seeking $100 million in damages from Daniel Towriss, the CEO of a major insurance company, after they allege Towriss caused the boat accident that caused Lauren Silagyi to sustain a permanent brain injury. Silagyi was celebrating her 33rd birthday.

The couple alleges that Towriss had a cocktail and some portion of a bottle of wine before he got behind the wheel of his 42-foot Hydra-Sports Custom boat. The lawsuit further states that Towriss was drinking a cocktail while he was piloting the boat. Towriss did not have anyone keeping lookout, and the plaintiffs claim that he was driving the boat so fast that it was hydroplaning over the water. Towriss eventually planed directly into a jetty and the three waited for rescue crews to extract them from the boat.

The Defense Argument 

Towriss appears to be denying that he was drunk during the accident. Instead, he is blaming the unlit jetty for the crash. As of yet, no criminal charges have been filed against Towriss for operating the boat while impaired, and at this point, none are likely. However, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is still investigating.

Towriss is accused of operating the boat drunkenly and recklessly.

The Damages

According to the plaintiff’s attorney, Mrs. Silagyi will suffer from complications due to traumatic brain injury that she suffered in the accident. She may never be able to work again, has undergone two brain surgeries to repair the damage, and she will never be the same again.

For that reason, damages in this case could be extensive. The defendant would be expected to compensate the couple for lost wages related to employment that Mrs. Silagyi can no longer perform. They will have medical expenses going into the millions of dollars for the surgeries required to keep her alive. Her quality of life has likely been severely reduced as well.

Will the Plaintiffs Win?

This case is likely to be settled at some point, but not for anywhere close to $100 million. Unless the wife’s medical care requires 24/7 oversight from a skilled nursing staff, the economic damages will be limited to costs related to medical expenses and lack of employability. Both of those, however, are likely to be large sums.

Towriss will blame the jetty for causing the accident, but that argument is more likely to pull another defendant into the suit than it is to absolve Towriss of his culpability. However, it will reduce his portion of the blame, so that could be a good thing for Towriss, while simultaneously not being a bad thing for the plaintiffs.

Regardless of who else gets pulled into the lawsuit, Towriss will end up paying for Mrs. Silagyi’s injuries.

Talk to a Miami Personal Injury Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a boating accident, call the Miami boating accident attorneys at the office of Alan Goldfarb, P.A. today to schedule a free consultation and discuss your injuries and accident.

Resource:

sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fort-lauderdale/fl-ne-fort-lauderdale-jetty-crash-lawsuit-20200805-essq7ihv4beudnm4syojcygvbm-story.html

https://www.goldfarbpa.com/universal-water-slide-implicated-in-paralysis-injury/