Home : Celebrity Justice : Crash Victim to Hogans: You're Responsible

Crash Victim to Hogans: You're Responsible

Posted Mar 24th 2008 2:05PM by TMZ Staff

The family of John Graziano, the man injured in Nick Hogan's August 2007 street racing crash, has filed suit against Hulk, Linda and Nick Hogan alleging they were negligent and are directly liable for the wreck that seriously injured the former Marine.

According to court papers filed today in Pinellas County, Fla. Circuit Court by Graziano's court-appointed guardian Peter Musante, Hulk and Linda (whose real names are Terry and Linda Bollea) should be held legally responsible for their son's accident.

In the suit, Musante alleges that Nick negligently operated his Toyota Supra by racing another man in a Dodge Viper, a car also owned by Hulk. The suit claims the Bolleas were aware of Nick's need for speed and knew that he had souped-up his vehicle for the purpose of racing.

In the suit, Musante also says Hulk purchased alcohol the day of the accident -- August 26 -- and that Hulk "knew or should have known" Nick was driving under the influence of the crash and he failed to take appropriate action.

The lawsuit also names Daniel Jacobs, who was driving the Viper that night, as a co-defendant. He pleaded no contest to reckless driving last month.

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151. FIBiker, everyone got the drift that parents are responsible for minor children from the first 50 comments about it. Do you really think you need to repeat it? Take your "knowledge" and maybe put it to good use somewhere other than a stupid celebrity gossip website.

Posted at 3:56PM on Mar 25th 2008 by ontario

152. Bottom line is drag racing is illegal, its not the kids fault for not wearing his seatbelt, nik should never of been drag racing, His parents allowed him to do this and were well aware and to me it looked liek they supported it. They bought him the cars and im sure gave him the money to get them ready for racing. I remember a few mths before it happened there was a video out of Brooke and Linda racing someone themselve from a red light. Linda had her head out the window screaming like it was a game. Its not a game racing has killed many people it needs to be taken more seriously then it is. The Hogans need to start acting more like parents with their children and not their best friends cause look what happened, they are responsible for that boy being brain dead .

Posted at 4:10PM on Mar 25th 2008 by hnotie

153. I AM HAPPY THAT JOHN GRAZINO'S FAMILY IS FILING A LAW SUIT AGAINST THE HULK AND HIS WIFE..I THINK THE FACT THEY WAITED SO LONG WAS QUITE ADMIRABLE OF THEM AS THEY WERE HOPING THAT THEIR SON WOULD COME OUT OF HIS COMA AND BE ABLE TO LEAD A NORMAL LIFE..GOOD PEOPLE, I WOULD SAY..

IS IT POSSIBLE TO FILE A CIVIL LAWSUIT AGAINST NICK FOR DOWN THE ROAD WHEN HE MIGHT JUST START TO BE A PRODUCTIVE HUMAN BEING, I.E. GET A JOB...HIS HISTORY IS THAT OF DRIVING WILD/RACING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN LOW SPEED LIMIT ZONES..TOTALLY DISREGARDING THE SAFETY OF OTHERS ON THE ROAD..I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE OTHER RACE DRIVER RECEIVED ALONG THE LINES OF PUNISHMENT BUT DON'T THINK IT WAS MUCH AND I ASSUME IT WILL BE THE SAME FOR NICK..THEREFORE IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT A CIVIL LAWSUITE BE FILED AGAINST HIM AND WHEN HE DOES COME INTO MONEY/HIT HIM IN THE POCKET BOOK WHEREBY HE WILL BE DRIVING A THREE WHEELER BICYCLE THE REST OF HIS LIFE...

Posted at 4:21PM on Mar 25th 2008 by baby doll

154. All of you who say that the victim is at fault for not wearing his seat belt are ridiculous. If he had been in his own car driving along, not wearing his seatbelt and a drunk 17 year old douche bag hits him and puts him in a semi-concious state for the rest of his life, is he still at fault? The same principles apply here. Yeah, maybe if he had worn his seat belt it wouldn't have been this bad, but you honestly don't know that. And had Nick not been driving like a maniac, it wouldn't have been an issue.

A seat belt is a precausion, not a guarantee.

Posted at 4:27PM on Mar 25th 2008 by Morgan

155. Nobody ever gets in a car and says "I'm going to or want to get into a car accident" But take responsibility for your actions. These teens don't think about consequences and it's always the parents that have to pay. Everyone is blaming it on Hulk but do you really think these boys are going to listen to what their parents have to say when they want to have their fun?

Posted at 5:04PM on Mar 25th 2008 by kris

156. To #122 JMelissaMc and #129 J in the Bay, great posts! JMelissaMc, I completely understand your anger and venting. I am sick to death of those who are trying to dump this all on John Graziano. For all purposes, his life is over. And you are so damn right. None of this needed to happen but for 2 extemely stupid parents who continued to allow a reckless and immature son drive. And to you J in the Bay, I agree! As long as your kid is a minor you are responsible for him or her. Why in the world do so many people have a problem understanding this? The Grazianos deserve to have their son in a decent facility...instead he lies in a VA hospital. He deserves the best of care money can buy as the victim of a careless 17 year old who obviously has no respect for the lives of others. And he obviously got that from his parents. I am so angry over this disaster. I have seen comatose men and women...I have cared for them...I have seen the agony in their loved ones faces when they come to visit, hoping against all hope that their loved one will wake up and be the same person. And I have seen the agony of finally realizing that there is no hope and it is just a matter of time....and hoping that while they cannot be there that their loved one is cared for with dignity and compassion. Yes, #'s 122 and 129 and to you too FlBiker, I understand what you have been saying. You know, I just wonder how those who feel this lawsuit is wrong would feel if it were there son, brother, husband, friend who was in that hospital bed. Knowing that he was never going to wake up, feed hiself, turn over, wipe himself or walk out of the hospital.....and know that a so called friend was responsible and his parents added to it by letting the kid continue to drive like a maniac?

Posted at 5:15PM on Mar 25th 2008 by completely disgusted

157. What really sucks is the irony of it all....you've got a young kid who signs up to serve his country on the frontline in Iraq. Makes it back alive. Makes it back uninjured. Makes less than 25k for it. For what? To hop in a car with this mindless, spoiled, pampered, rich, a-hole that hasn't an ounce of courage and has done nothing to deserve any of the $$ he has at his disposal (neither did his father - wrestling? Please!) And out of the both of them, who suffers life threatening injuries?
Get Nick into Marine cammies and send his spoiled ass to Iraq!

Posted at 5:20PM on Mar 25th 2008 by MoneyForNothing

158. LINDA SEPERATED FROM HER HUSBAND RIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT... SHE IS TRYING TO FADE FROM THE LAWSUIT THAT WERE COMING THEIR WAY... THEY HAVE PUT THE BOYS NAME ON THE PAPER BUT WHAT MONEY DOES HE HAVE. THEY MUST GO AFTER HIS FATHER AND MOTHER... MAN... DO I SEE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS AND MIILLIONS GOING OUT OF THEIR BANK TO TAKE CARE OF GRAZIANO CONDITION FOR LIFE.. THAT WILL TEACH HIS PARENTS A LESSON.. THEY KNEW THE CONDITION OF HIS DRIVING BUT NO THEY LET HIM DO WHAT HE WANTED.... THEY DESERGVE WHAT THEY GOT...

Posted at 10:27AM on Mar 26th 2008 by shirlina

159. #12 YOU ARE SO ARROGANT....

Posted at 10:28AM on Mar 26th 2008 by shirlina

160. THEY DESERVED TO GET SUIED... WHY SHUD THE GRAZIANO FAMILY GET INTO THEIS SAVING TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CHILD.. EVEN IN MIAMI . THE HOGAN BOY WAS KNOWN 4 RACING AND ALSO THANK GOD THE POLICE IN CLEARWATER HAS TAPES OF HOGAN'S BOY DRIVING ******SO FAST ******** THAT HE WAS STOPPED SEVERAL TIMES... i DISAGREE THAT THE HOGANS HAD BOUGHT SUCH A POWERFUL CAR FOR THEIR SON WHO REALLY ** OES NOT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE EITHER... THE HOGANS ONLY KNOW HOW TO SHOW OFF AND SPOIL BOTH KIDS... THE HOGAN BOY AND HOGAN FAMILY MUST ************* P A Y ******************************* ....................AND I DO HOPE THE JUDGE SEES ALL THAT,....

Posted at 10:28AM on Mar 26th 2008 by shirlina

161. #10 - GET A GRIP OF YOURSELF... HE WAS NICK'S BST FRIEND...

Posted at 10:28AM on Mar 26th 2008 by shirlina

162. #10 - GET A GRIP OF YOURSELF... HE WAS NICK'S BST FRIEND...

Posted at 10:26AM on Mar 26th 2008 by shirlina

163. yeah I think that the hogans should be responsible to some degree but I think that John's family needs to realize that he was an adult knowing that Nick has a habit of driving fast, perhaps that Nick had been drinking, and that Nick's car was all done up for racing and he chose to get in the car and HE CHOSE not to wear his seat belt, so yeah it is Nicks fault to some degree but John also has some fault in it all. Yeah I also think that Linda and the Hulk need to admit to the lack of parental attention....I mean Brooke is over 18, and she needs to step up as an adult and stop letting daddy run her life and let them focus their parental attention on Nick..I think that a big part of Nick's problem is the fact that mommy and daddy pay so much attention to Brooke and making sure she does right, that Nick is often forgotten...Now they have a much bigger problem on their hands....I hope for their sake that a judge notices that yes Nick made a stupid choice to race but John also made some faults in the situation as well....And didn't the Hulk already volunteer to pay for the care of John for the remainder of his life???

Posted at 9:37AM on Mar 27th 2008 by jess

164. The Boella's know bettter than to show even the slightest, sign of 'remorse.'- If you were an attorney; wouldn't you advise your clients to do the same? Guilty facial expressions, along with ' I'm sorry ' statements , could easily equate to even more...millions.

Common sense would also dictate, that a Marine who fought in battle; certainly wouldn't find it too difficult to put a seatbelt on. Perhaps if Nick Boella had stayed in 'real' school; he would have learned how to develope /maintain friendship's with kids his own age.

Considering his personal driving history; it was likely just a matter of time, before Nck Boella's family would have been faced with a like tragedy of their own.

God almighty.

Posted at 4:22PM on Mar 26th 2008 by In too deep

165. Some people need to learn to spell and to speak properly. Its spelled SUED NOT SUIED. Should not SHUD. Was that for real? Thats really pathethic.

Posted at 4:28PM on Mar 26th 2008 by no

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