You Philadelphia Girl Sues Injured Father
A young Philadelphia girl is suing her father for emotional distress after having had to witness him receiving gunshot injuries. Then 9-year-old Kaitlyn Timko was in the back seat of her father’s car when he began to engage in a road rage dispute. Sadly, the road rage dispute ended with the other driver shooting Kaitlyn’s father in the head.
Kaitlyn watched as her father was shot and sat bloody and injured slumping over the wheel of his car. Although Kaitlyn Timko was not at all physically injured during the incident, she was reportedly unresponsive and extremely emotionally distressed when a counselor interviewed her later that week. Her mother, Lori Hardwerk of Norristown, PA, states that Kaitlyn remains traumatized now, 2 years later, at 11 years old.
Kaitlyn’s lawsuit alleges that her father “set off a chain of events that led to the gunfire by cutting off the other driver.” She also feels that her father, Mr. Timko, further provoked the other driver and escalated the situation by giving him the middle finger.
The October 2009 incident took place near the Walt Whitman Bridge and left Kaitlyn’s father, Thomas Timko with permanent brain injuries, a disfiguring scar, and high medical debts. The shooter, Christian Squillaciotti, is a clinical schizophrenic and ex-Marine. He is serving 13-26 years in prison after being convicted on two counts of attempted murder and weapons charges.
The recent case against Thomas Timko has been moved to discovery, which is now under way according to NBC Philadelphia. The case is not expected to go to trial for at least another year. Kaitlyn’s case will require an expert Philadelphia injury lawyer to handle the case. In cases involving children, the injury lawyer must have special experience and sensitivity.
