NEW YORK –- A 54-year-old woman was pilloried online on Tuesday for suing her nephew who accidentally broke her wrist. Jennifer Connell, a human resources manager from New York, filed an action against the 12-year-old, who gave her a hug that led to a fall.
The “unreasonable” action happened four years ago at the eighth birthday party of Connell's nephew, Sean Tarala.
Giving evidence to a jury on Friday, Connell said: "All of a sudden he was there in the air, I had to catch him and we tumbled onto the ground. I remember him shouting, 'Auntie Jen I love you,' and there he was flying at me."
Connell is now seeking $127,000 in damages, with Tarala the sole defendant identified in the lawsuit. Connell said she did not make a complaint earlier as she did not want to upset him.
According to the complainant, the broken wrist has impaired her ability to eat food, especially at social gatherings. "I was at a party recently," she told the jury. "And it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate."
Tarala’s mother died last year. The little boy was accompanied to court on Friday by his father.