West Seneca boy wins $30,000 settlement over injury in town park

Feb. 1--The family of a West Seneca boy, who was "clotheslined" when his neck struck a rope while he was riding his bicycle in a town park, has accepted a $30,000 settlement offer from an insurer for the West Seneca Central School District.

Court papers say the boy, who was 10 at the time of the accident, will be left with $19,645 after legal fees and court costs. That money will be used to buy an annuity he can tap when he turns 18.

Andrew D. Fanizzi, the plaintiff's attorney, said Friday that the rope was installed in Sunshine Park on the evening of Sept. 14, 2018, to mark the course for a high school cross-country meet the next day.

The boy's mother, Jeannette Hauser, filed a claim against the town and the school because her son was knocked from his bike and incurred a 4-inch abrasion on his neck. Fanizzi said the school was deemed fully responsible even though the accident occurred in a town park.

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