Manhattan Woman Sues 12-Year-Old Nephew for Breaking Her Wrist With an Exuberant Hug
An Upper East Side aunt is suing her pre-teen nephew for six figures over a broken wrist she suffered when he excitedly jumped into her arms to hug her at his 8th birthday party. Her lawsuit claims his “negligent” and “careless” show of affection caused her serious injuries and losses, noting “I was at a party recently and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvres plate.” Damn.
Jennifer Connell, a 54-year-old human resources manager, described her nephew, Sean Tarala, as very loving and sensitive toward her, but she still felt she had to sue the 12-year-old for $127,000.
“All of a sudden he was there in the air, I had to catch him and we tumbled onto the ground,” Connell testified of her encounter with the 50-pound boy. “I remember him shouting, ‘Auntie Jen I love you,’ and there he was flying at me.”
She says she didn’t let him know at the time that she was hurt, because she didn’t want to ruin his birthday, but claims life has been hard for her since.
“I live in Manhattan in a third-floor walkup so it has been very difficult,” Connell said Friday at Connecticut Superior Court in Bridgeport, Conn., “And we all know how crowded it is in Manhattan.”
We all know that. We sure do.
Connell’s suit claims that “a reasonable eight year old under those circumstances would know or should have known that a forceful greeting such as the one delivered by the defendant to the plaintiff could cause the harms and losses suffered by the plaintiff,” which leaves a jury with the curious task of determining what a “reasonable” 8-year-old would know.
The tween “appeared confused as he sat with his father, Michael Tarala, in the Main Street courtroom,” the Connecticut Post reports. Sean’s mother died last year.
Update: A jury found Sean wasn’t negligent and awarded Connell $0 Tuesday.
