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HINGHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Days after an SUV plowed into the glass storefront of the Apple Store in Hingham and killed one person, several injured victims filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against parties they believe are, at some capacity, responsible for the crash.
Plaintiffs in the suit named the driver of the offending vehicle, Bradley Rein of Hingham, as the lead defendant in the case alongside the Derby Street Shops property management company WS Development Associates, domestic limited liability company Hingham Retail Properties, and Apple itself.
The plaintiffs' complaint filed in Middlesex Superior Court brings either counts of negligence or loss of consortium against the defendants. Rein is currently facing criminal charges for reckless operation of a vehicle, to which he's plead 'not guilty,' and was ordered held on a $100,000 cash bail. Plaintiffs in the civil suit say Rein was negligent while driving his SUV which led to the crash and caused multiple serious injuries.
For the rest of the defendants, attorneys from Sheff & Cook in Boston make the claim that there were no bollards or barriers separating the Apple Store from the parking lot on the day of the incident. It's not required by state law for blockades to be out front, but plaintiffs say not having them there constitutes a failure to protect retail shoppers and employees. Attorney Doug Sheff told WBZ-TV's I-Team the crash was anything but unexpected and that the owners' and managers' decision to put up barriers after the fact is a recognition of fault and only helps their case.
"How can we say that that is anything other than foreseeable when you have essentially a landing strip aimed right at the glass window where patrons and employees are going about their daily business," Sheff said.
WS Development manages multiple properties in Boston's Seaport District and Fenway Park in addition to the Derby Street Shops.
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Plaintiffs demand a trial by jury to determine compensation.
WBZ's Suzanne Sausville (@wbzSausville) reports.
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