Neel v. Sewell
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
834 F.Supp.2d 648 (2011)
Relevant factsFree
Seventeen-year-old Neel (plaintiff) was helping his father, aunt, and step-grandmother clean out the grandmother's home; the group burned a pile of collected trash in the backyard, and an aerosol can hidden in the trash exploded, severely burning Neel. Neel sued his father (defendant), among others, for negligent supervision in failing to ensure safe disposal of flammable materials. The father moved for summary judgment, claiming parental immunity under Michigan law.
IssueFree
Whether, under Michigan law, a child may maintain a negligence suit against a parent for injuries suffered as a result of the parent's exercise of reasonable parental authority.