University To Pay Burned Student $500K
Published: September 16, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio—Ohio University has agreed to pay $500,000 to a student who had an epileptic seizure and fell face-first into a fire during a wilderness trip.
The family of Christopher Mance of South Easton, Mass., in suburban Boston, had sued the school for $3.2 million in damages. Rob Miller, Mance’s Columbus lawyer, says the case was settled for less because his client is now able to work, despite his disfigurement. Burns destroyed most of Mance’s nose and parts of both ears.
The agreement reached Friday must be approved by an Ohio Court of Claims judge. An OU spokeswoman says the university does not admit liability or wrongdoing.
The lawsuit claimed the school was negligent in sending Mance out on solo wilderness survival training despite his history of epilepsy.
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Reader Reactions
I must agree with those of you who say it isn’t OU’s fault the dude had med problems… People need to start taking responsibilities for themselves…
That’s our system at work. Gotta love it! Just like car accidents. Someone gets a little fender bender, sues for millions.
what are you talking about no one takes personal responsibility anymore.
there is no money in personal responsibility, honor yes, money no.
$3.2 million? $500,000? What a joke!!! How was it the universities fault that this guy had an epileptic seizure and fell into a fire? This guy was a college student (not a child) that knew is OWN history of epilepsy, it was his responsibility to make sure that he takes someone with him in case something happens. It was not the universities responsibility to babysit him! Whatever happened to personal responsibility?????
Isn’t Mance just as negligent as OU if he knew he had a history of epilespy? Why is it always somebody elses fault when people make poor judgements?
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