Federal appeals court upholds $41 million verdict in CT tick bite case
Hartford Courant, February 9, 2018:
by Edmund H. Mahony
A federal appeals court has upheld a $41.7 million jury verdict for a Connecticut private school student who was severely and permanently disabled after developing encephalitis from a tick bite while on a class trip to China.
The case, which has been litigated for nine years, established that schools in Connecticut are obligated to protect children in their care, a conclusion that insurers, schools and other groups have warned could reduce educational travel opportunities for students. READ MORE.
I’m happy that the infected child has won the case, but you’ve got to admit that it’s ridiculous to expect school staff to protect every student from almost microscopic ticks.
I guess it’s good that the court at least recognized that the child has a tick-borne infection.
What about the rest of us?????
Just thinking this very same thing!!!!! What about the rest of us!!!!!!! Wheres our settlement for A) Not being recognized and b) not being protected….c)not being properly diagnosed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EXCELLENT!!! FINALLY a group of people with brains and compassion. This is what WE all need! Class action law suits against everyone who denies us treatment! NOW maybe Tick Borne Diseases will be in the media?? I am sick of being sick. Sick of being ignored! Praying all of us will finally get the care we have been paying for all these years! Hope that this money will help this poor child who has suffered for so long and will be suffering for the rest of her/his life! This whole issue is a DISGRACE!
I told friends about this judgement. With and without being sick from TBDs. I said I hoped this would be reported in the media since it was such a large sum of money. Finally TBDs would be getting some attention. We have not seen anything, nor heard anything! I have friends all over the world. Figured it would be reported SOMEWHERE!? Then I realized, no one covers an issue when no one cares about the issue. Dear Martha. I am with you! What about the rest of us? Was told there were over 300,000 people diagnosed with TBDs in 2017. Where are their “voices”??? We only have ourselves to blame. Teachers and schools are held responsible for everything that happens and how what happens is handled when a child is in their care. I Was a teacher for forty years. Schools and teachers are even responsible for little ticks! Child should have had all needed inoculations needed to leave the US. Up to school to know everything about place where child will be. Besides, how did anyone know the child was bitten in China? I was told by my Bd. Certified doctor, who is a Congressional Advisor about TBDs, the diseases can stay dormant, like syphilis, wait until immune system is compromised and then strikes. This child lives and went to school in Conn. Who knows?? Still happy this child won. AT LEAST the parents cared enough to take on the status quo for their child’s, and stick with it for nine years! Maybe now the rest of us will unite and successfully do something to help ourselves!?!
Phyllis, it seems that you and I are having very similar experiences.
My heart goes out to you.
I can’t see how any school can be expected to keep kids safe from any bugs if they allow the students to be outdoors. Lack of widespread Lyme awareness is the real problem. There should be signs posted in areas with ticks carrying Borellia, which would require widespread testing. Then, if schools failed to recommend repellents and proper clothing they might be negligent. Are the schools going to be required to keep all mosquitos out of the air around their kids? And who does the strip search for ticks each evening? Are you going to sign up your kid for that? All possible sympathy for the child who is now infected with such a nasty, insidious disease. Lyme denial is the evil here.
I can see 5 million…. But 41 million! Things happen to people even with the most diligent care. That’s why everything’s so expensive!
$41.7 million is not enough. Glad this child was partially compensated for her lifelong brain damage, neurological impairment, suffering, inability to live fully, and shortened life span. Perhaps now people wil begin to take this devastating permanent, pandemic, killer infection seriously. Our children, our parents, our pets and our lives need to be protected from this horrendous worldwide permanent infection of suffering. We must all sue the medical “professionals” who turn us away, refuse to diagnose and/or treat our Lyme dcisease and co-infections. We must sue, sue, sue, until not one more victim suffers or dies from Lyme. Not one more!!!
Indeed. We are still forgotten by the NIH , CDC and the media in general. Great strides have been taken and we are slowly moving forward. Many years ago when people saw a young strapping man on a cane they had no idea Lyme’s Disease could do that. Now it seems everybody knows someone who has been crippled , maimed or become so sick they had to retire early or change jobs from a tick bite. I reside in the South and it is a silent epidemic. Stay strong. Enjoy the little things.