I'm sorry that this poor guy died, especially after all he went through to heal after a tragic event like the one he suffered in Iraq. I know that the grieving process has many stages and it sounds to me like his family is in the anger stage. Unfortunately our society has turned into a bunch of blame-seekers due to lawyers (a.k.a. vultures) like Celino and Barnes. I for one would not be the least bit surprised to find out that they approached this family in the aftermath and offered to represent them after the story broke. The worst part is that this horrible court battle will do nothing for the family but drag out the grieving process. If they were, in fact, the ones who sought out legal action I pray for them that this matter gets settled quickly because they're only hurting themselves further. Even if they win, they still lose because a dear loved one is gone and no amount of litigation or money can bring him back. The park operators had already immediately started implementing new safety and training procedures after his death, and that was without any threat of a lawsuit immediately hanging over their heads, so what good can possibly come from suing? Also, let's not forget that there is a little thing called "personal responsibility". It's that little voice we all have in our heads that says (however quietly at times), "Hmm, maybe this isn't a good idea". Obviously Sgt. Hackemer was not paying attention in the moment before he decided to board the ride. It just makes me wonder if, had this happened 50 years ago, would the family have had the inclination to sue? Or would they perhaps have chalked it up to just being the terrible accident it was?
