“This shows a level of negligence and disregard for other people’s lives that cannot be allowed in Portland if we want to keep our roads safe,”
Sean DuBois, Skof’s attorney
Lawyers for Robert Skof, who was hit from behind by Mt. Hood Skibowl owner Kirk Hanna while bicycling in southwest Portland last year, say a settlement has been reached in the case.
On May 23rd 2011, the 45-year-old Skof, was riding on SW Macadam near the Sellwood Bridge when police say he was hit from behind after Hanna, 49, lost control of his Porsche Cayenne SUV. Hanna was going around 80 mph prior to the collision and witnesses reported that not only did he leave Skof for dead on the side of the road, he actually sped up once witnesses tried to chase him down. Three months later, Hanna pleaded guilty to misdemeanor Hit and Run, DUII, and misdemeanor Assault (many people were not pleased with those charges, so the Portland Police Bureau explained why that was the best they could do).
Skof’s lawyers, Shulman DuBois LLC, released a statement today saying that they’ve reached a settlement with Hanna. Here’s an excerpt:
“Not only did Hanna make the decision to drive after drinking — he made the decision to leave Skof when he was seriously injured. This shows a level of negligence and disregard for other people’s lives that cannot be allowed in Portland if we want to keep our roads safe,” said Skof’s attorney Sean DuBois…
This is not Hanna’s first run-in with the law. Hanna, a prominent Oregon businessman and owner the Mt. Hood Skibowl, has been charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, driving uninsured, and driving with a suspended license – all acts that show blatant disregard for Oregon law and safety procedures.
He has also received over 50 parking tickets, 8 speeding tickets, been accused of drunk driving, and 2003 hit-and‐run DUII charges were dismissed on a technicality, according to an article by Anna Griffin from the Oregonian. None of these previous offenses were enough to teach Hanna a lesson.”
According to the terms of the settlement, the compensation amount Skof has received is confidential. However, his lawyers say his bills and expenses have totaled over $180,000 in the past year. And that’s just the medical bills.
“Hit and run victims are often left emotionally scarred,” said Sean DuBois. “My client has had to seek therapy after the trauma of being left to lie in the road like a piece of trash, through Mr. Hanna’s neglect.”
Thanks for reading.
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I know it’s standard legal practice, but not disclosing the terms of the settlement is complete BS.
I’d love to get a statement from Kirk Hanna on this affair. 180,000 is not enough for the victim of this aweful crime.
I have not gone to Skibowl since this incident, and I will not go back.
Jonathan, do you know if Kirk Hanna still has his driver’s license? He should lose it for life.
Lose his liscence?!! He should be doing seriously hard time in prison.
Ditto – my money is going to T-line and Meadows until Hanna is no longer associated with Ski Bowl. I may bandit their MTB trails though.
Sounds like a need for a bike top tube sticker (and a larger bumper sticker) reminding bicyclists to boycott Ski Bowl.
He was already driving on a suspended license, uninsured, etc. You think taking his license is going to keep him from driving as he thinks money makes him entitled? Prison time is the only thing that would work.
Kirk Hanna should be run out of town on a rail, for all our safety.
Settlements are private agreements between the parties. No matter how much this feels to us like a matter of public safety or public policy (public) justice, their agreement is literally none of our business.
It’s entirely possible (but of course not very likely) that Hanna agreed to give up his license, and when we’re mowed down by a wealthy drunk driver we are each free to stipulate to that condition in our settlement negotiations… but what Skof and Hanna agreed to is their secret.
I forgot an or between Policy and (public)… sorry.
Exactly. I hope that I am never put in a situation like this But if given the choice of a sure thing with a (what I am assuming) is a big settlement or take it to court and *hope* that it goes my way, I am going to choose the former.
With all that money why doesn’t he just hire a driver?
Or he could take cabs when he has been knocking back his favorite rich person drink.
Vote with your dollars. As long as Kirk Hanna benefits financially, Skibowl will never see a dime from me. Robert, best wishes for a complete recovery from this nightmare experience.
I would NEVER accept a confidential settlement… ever… you all mean too much to me for me to marginalize you like that… and I don’t know any of you…
I will always choose justice over money, since money is what got us here in the first place…
They went for as much justice they can get. Now the guy wants to pay his medical bills and I couldn’t possibly judge him for that. I think the victim should bleed Hanna’s wallet for all he can get.
Easy to say when it’s not you with the $180,000+ worth of medical bills, which would be enough to bankrupt most average middle-class people – or at least see them making something akin to a second house payment for a very long time.
And having to wait a year for payment after a successful settlement…lost wagers, etc.
Really only the lawyers and legal profession ‘win’ in these cases = what with their time and wages being paid (unless they are working probono and losing a case).
I have personally been on the wrong side of a $200K hospital bill from a crash I did not cause. When your choices are:
1 – Bankruptcy
2 – Maybe get something from a court years from now, plus appeals
3 – Get a large enough, confidential settlement right now
Your high and mighty scruples will be nowhere in sight.
The circumstances of this story are outrageous. Here is another example of how Hit and Run certainly pays. And I am not faulting the police or DA, but the laws. Although my son’s hit-and-run killer was quickly located (because a police officer was two cars behind him when he hit Dustin), even in our case we had to take a plea because the burden of proving his guilt (to manslaughter) in a trial was too risky.
Attorney Sean Dubois is exactly right about the additional emotional trauma of a hit-and-run on victims. Leaving a dead, dying, or injured person on the road like trash is devastating to the victim and victim’s family. How can we trust anybody anymore? How can we trust even in human decency? And there are the different circumstances to deal with: not knowing anything, not knowing enough, knowing enough but not being able to prove it, etc.
I haven’t been able to find the name of the 54 year old man killed in a Lane County Hit-and-Run over the weekend. He was hit and left in the road and then struck by another vehicle. Perhaps he could have survived the first hit if the person who did it hadn’t been so selfish and uncaring.
Thanks for your reporting on this case, Jonathan. It’s very motivating to me.
Mrs Dibbly & I will never, ever go to SkiBowl. I just hope this jerk doesn’t buy up the other ski areas.
New York State is working on increasing the penalties for hit+run to be on par with other strict road laws like DUI to lessen the incentive to do it in the first place. http://t.co/3mn7ru33
Are Oregon state hit+run laws not sufficient enough? How can we make hit and run–or speeding for that matter–absolutely unthinkable?
Thanks for the link. At least there are some good things in the works somewhere. This is motivating, too.
hit and run is the moral equivalent of voluntary manslaughter.
There are OBRA-sanctioned races at Ski Bowl, are there not? I know our choice of venues is limited but I think someone needs to take a good long look at whether Ski Bowl should be one of them.
Sad to know our laws don’t keep someone with a record like that off our roads.
Was any of this ever on the local news?
Please clarify this statement:
“and 2003 hit-and‐run DUII charges were dismissed on a technicality.”
Is that 2003 supposed to be a year, or a total number of hit-and-run DUII charges against Mr Hanna that were dismissed?
Hopefully the former, as the latter is incredibly outrageous.
Settling on a figure and/or winning a figure in a civil suit is one thing. Collecting it is another matter entirely…
Best wishes Robert.