PITTSBURGH - A Gibsonia family was recently sued in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas after their son allegedly got drunk and crashed an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) that was full of people past its manufacturer's limit.
Plaintiffs Michael and Debra Arrisher filed the complaint on behalf of their 17-year-old daughter. The defendants are Kurt and Kelly Schweiger, husband and wife, their adult son Caden Schweiger, and Adam Schweiger, brother of Kurt. TEC Construction, which is co-owned by Kurt Schweiger, is also named a defendant.
On March 14, 2020, Kurt and Kelly Schweiger apparently were gone from their residence for the weekend, and left the care of their two sons under 21 years old to Adam Schweiger at the Schweiger residence.
According to the complaint, Adam Schweiger knowingly allowed the two minor sons including Caden to be supplied and consume alcohol underaged while hosting a party the evening of March 13 into March 14.
In the morning of March 14, Caden took out an ATV owned by TEC Construction that was on the personal Schweiger property. He was over six times the legal blood alcohol content level for operating a vehicle, the suit says. Caden allegedly allowed two more people than the ATV's capacity to ride in the vehicle, including the plaintiffs' minor daughter.
Caden allegedly drove the ATV at a high rate of speed which, combined with it being over capacity and his state of inebriation, caused the vehicle to flip. The plaintiffs' minor daughter suffered serious injuries including a fractured pelvis, severe injury and disfigurement to the groin, lacerations, a hematoma, fractured radius and others, the suit says.
The defendants are charged with negligence and negligent entrustment, for which the plaintiffs are requesting damages outside of the court's arbitrational limit.
The plaintiffs are represented by Hal K. Waldman and Associates of Pittsburgh.