Injured Motorcyclist Sues Tennessee County for Weed Overgrowth

By Daniel Hawn

Published on July 05, 2007

The lawsuit – filed June 27 by 51-year-old Walter Lee O’Quinn – claims that the county neglected its responsibility to trim back the vegetation to prevent it from obstructing drivers’ vision.

O’Quinn says that on June 1, 2006, he approached an intersection that was so dense with high-growing weeds and grasses that he could not see a stop sign and, as a result, pulled in front of an oncoming car.

The accident caused O’Quinn serious injuries, leaving him disabled and affecting his ability to work and enjoy major life activities, the lawsuit states.

O’Quinn’s attorney, Doug Jenkins, asserts that though the county did appoint workers to mow and clear the foliage before O’Quinn’s accident, the work was performed in a careless manner that did not prevent the area from hindering drivers’ ability to see clearly. He contends that the county’s negligence was responsible for O’Quinn’s accident.

When contacted, the mayor of Hawkins County said that he was unable to comment on the lawsuit. A court date has not been set yet for the case.