Widow sues Disney

[Lorix2]

I think I remember DIS'ers asking about something going on at the Lagoon and if any of us knew, well I think this is it - how sad.


Hudson teacher’s widow sues Disney

By ANDREW WOLFE, Telegraph Staff
wolfea@telegraph-nh.com


CONCORD – The widow of a Hudson teacher who drowned after falling off a pier at Walt Disney World has sued the company, charging it failed to take steps that would have prevented the accident.

Sean Slattery, 36, of Merrimack, was found April 25, 2002, near the end of a pier on the Grand Lagoon outside Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel.

Slattery taught social studies at Alvirne High School for six years. He was a Nashua native and third-generation teacher, having followed his mother and grandmother into the profession. He left four children.

Megan Slattery sued on behalf of her husband’s estate June 19. Disney has yet to be served with notice of the suit, her lawyer, Joseph McDowell of Manchester, said Monday.

The suit seeks $10 million to compensate for Slattery’s lost wages and the suffering his death caused him, his wife and their children. McDowell declined to comment on the case, saying, “I’ll just let the lawsuit speak for itself.”

Staff at Disney World’s public relations office did not respond to a request for comment on the case.

The Slattery family went to Disney World during the April vacation week, and on the night of April 24, Sean and Megan Slattery arranged for a babysitter and went out to dinner together.

Sean Slattery got drunk during dinner, and the two argued, the suit states. He walked out, and after waiting awhile, his wife went back to their room. She later called the hotel manager several times when her husband didn’t show up.

A Disney security officer spotted Sean Slattery in the hotel and noticed he seemed drunk and disoriented, the suit states. Slattery told the officer he was looking for his wife.

The officer asked Slattery to sit down, saying he would get help and come back. The officer left to find the manager, but Slattery was gone when he returned, the suit states. The officer continued on his rounds, doing nothing further about Slattery, the suit states.

Slattery had gone to relieve himself, the suit states. He walked out to the end of the pier, which, unlike the sides, had no guardrail.

“Unsteady by the alcohol served by Disney restaurant wait staff, Mr. Slattery fell fully clothed in suit and tie into the Grand Lagoon and drowned,” the suit states.

The suit charges that the pier was inherently dangerous, lacking a guardrail at the end, as well as lighting, warning signs or anything to prevent people from walking onto it. The pier also lacked a ladder or another way for a person to climb out of the water, the suit charges.

The suit charges the pier “constituted a trap for patrons who had been over-served alcohol by Disney’s wait staff.”

The suit also charges the security guard should have stayed with Slattery and used his radio to get help, and that Disney fails to properly train its staff.

 

[GladysK]

Sorry, I don't feel WDW owes money . What if he had just walked into the lake and drowned?

I also can't remember seeing any docks at WDW without railings or a rope where the boat comes in to dock.

 

[Ted and Holly]

So, he drinks too much, he walks off the pier, he can't swim, she sues?

Sad that someone died and left behind loved ones, but to sue over it?

Ted

 

[luvwinnie]

and was responsible for his own drinking. Drives me NUTS when people get drunk and then try to blame others for the tragedy that ensues.

 

[Magickndm]

So HE gets drunk, and it's Disney's job to babysit him?
In the words of Jessie Ventura, "You can't legislate stupidity."

 

[jfulcer]

The sad thing is they will most likely settle this out of court without an admission of guilt in any way. They'll get money and Disney will post signs and lots of other things...

 

[BobbinWeez]

So this woman rather than blame her husband for drinking too much she is blaming the waitstaff for doing their job. Hmmmm interesting concept. Like previous posters have said I'm sorry someone died but taking Disney to court for money will not bring her husband back.

 

[scarlett873]

i agree with the other posters on this one...i'm sorry a life was lost in such a wonderful place...but to blame everyone else for her husband's death? that's just not right!! he was an adult, perfectly capable of making his own decisions...i realize alcohol can affect your thinking capabilities, but personally, if i was in that situation and my DH had had that much to drink, i would have made sure that he made it back to the room, etc. even if we had been arguing...but i guess that's just me...

i'm sorry he lost his life, but i still don't agree with the lawsuit...

 

[MICKEY88]

I agree it's sad someone died...

I think Disney should counter sue the woman , for failing to provide proper supervision for her drunk husband... which led to his untimely death and negative publicity for Disney...

 

[Miss Jasmine]

In the State of Florida, this lawsuit could fly.

You know it's so easy to see this as a "DRUNK" person who was abusing alcohol who fell into the lake and drowned. But what if it had been a small child who got away from his or her parents? Then how would you feel? That is of course leaving out the allegations of the Castmembers overserving.

 

[Minnie824]

I also agree that I'm sorry he died, but come on! People sue over anything now. And $10 million? For wages? Didn't they say he was a teacher? I don't know any teachers who make that much money. That guard had no responsibility for this grown man. And I'm sure the wait staff was not shoving the alcohol down his throat either. I feel bad for the woman and her kids, but I hope Disney doesn't settle and this woman doesn't get anything!

 

[alabamaalan]

If the wait staff had not served him alcohol seeing he had enough, he would be alive (Of course, he would have sued for not serving him, no doubt citing some form of discrimination)

If there had been railings, he may be alive

If the guard had dropped everything else he was doing to stay with a grown man holding his hand until someone could take him away, he would have lived

If his wife had not argued with him, driving him away, and had simply accompanied him to the room he would have lived!

It's a tragic completely avoidable accident and she is as much to blame as anyone else based on the info provided so drop the suit lady.

 

[MICKEY88]

Originally posted by Miss Jasmine
In the State of Florida, this lawsuit could fly.

You know it's so easy to see this as a "DRUNK" person who was abusing alcohol who fell into the lake and drowned. But what if it had been a small child who got away from his or her parents? Then how would you feel? That is of course leaving out the allegations of the Castmembers overserving.

Sadly I agree the lawsuit will probably fly...as for the scenario of it being a child..aren't parents responsible for watching their children anymore.....the world simply cannot be made fool proof, no matter how safe we make it people will find a way to die accitentally...

 

[Miss Jasmine]

If his wife had not argued with him, driving him away, and had simply accompanied him to the room he would have lived!

That is such a NICE statement.

 

[MICKEY88]

Originally posted by alabamaalan
If the wait staff had not served him alcohol seeing he had enough, he would be alive (Of course, he would have sued for not serving him, no doubt citing some form of discrimination)

If there had been railings, he may be alive

If the guard had dropped everything else he was doing to stay with a grown man holding his hand until someone could take him away, he would have lived

If his wife had not argued with him, driving him away, and had simply accompanied him to the room he would have lived!

It's a tragic completely avoidable accident and she is as much to blame as anyone else based on the info provided so drop the suit lady.

not sure anyone can say she argued and drove him away...
perhaps they argued because he was drinking and was not as nice a person while under the influence.....

 

[alabamaalan]

Of course my statement wasn't sincere! I was just making the point that there were several factors involved, any of which changed would have had a different result including their fight.

Personally, I did not mean to make fun because I assume she does partly blame herself (or maybe not, but most anyone I know would) but she shouldn't go pointing fingers at WDW for something she and he could have avoided.

 

[Rajah]

Good grief. Sorry she lost her husband, but good grief.

 

[mommystieg]

The line that baffles me the most is "the pier constituted a trap for patrons who had been over-served alcohol by Disney's wait staff." WHAT It is as if Disney deliberately over-serves alcohol and then somehow lures these poor, intoxicated people down to the pier so they can fall in and drown. I think this a very sad story but come on, what kind of logic is that?!?!?!?

 

[CarolA]

Well as far as I can tell in today's society no one is responsible for thier own actions! At least according to the lawsuits I keep reading about.

My fav was the family who sued Home Depot because their child was cut while at Home Depot. Of course the child was climbing over rolls of carpet and the parents were NO where near the child and admitted that they let their children run freely thru the store while they were there. They seemed to think it was Home Depots job to provide "child care". The judge did throw this one out and gave the parents a stern lecture, but really!

I also knew a woman who sued a mall after she fell in the parking lot on ice. Now let me point out that it was sleeting at the time she parked and the tempature was around 10 degrees and the mall had closed due to weather! She sued saying that she was injured because they failed to keep the lot clear. (Personally I am not 100% sure she was even injured. I later found out that she had filed about 1 suit a year and had not held down a job in years, she seemed to live off the proceeds!)

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

Well, unfortunately people are suing for everything. Yeah it really stinks that someone died at WDW for getting drunk and falling off a pier and drowning, but suing WDW does not bring this woman's husband back, nor will make her life feel fulfilled.

We just returned from WL. The bridge that you walk across inside the lobby someone had spilled OJ. I was coming over the bridge and overheard another person state "Imagine if I slipped and fell on that?" "I could sue"

So, IMHO, people are really too sue happy.