Sen. James Alesi, a Monroe County Republican, dropped a personal injury lawsuit after a storm of criticism in his district. The Rochester state senator dropped his negligence and personal injury lawsuit against several constituents.
Sen. James Alesi sued homeowners and builders of a home for injury, alleging the couple wrongly allowed him to hurt himself in the home he entered without authorization. Alesi broke his leg after using a back door to enter a home under construction. He slipped and fell from a ladder leading from the cellar to the first floor. Emergency services transported Alesi to a nearby hospital.
The incident occurred while Alesi was shopping for a new house. He visited a development under construction, bypassing the model home and heading straight to a partially completed house that had homeowners. Alesi and a friend trespassed into the home through an unlocked back door, where the Senator injured his leg. Subsequently, Alesi told news reporters defendants were at fault, as they did not properly secure the home. Alesi sued even though the homeowners decided not to press criminal trespassing charges against him.
The Senator’s New York constituents, as well as his Republican colleagues, were outraged at the attempt to sue for damages. Sen. Alesi eventually buckled under pressure and withdrew his complaint. The lawmaker appears to have come to a correct conclusion. Defendants, John and Janet Hecker, and Lou DiRisio, the builder, are relieved to know they have no personal responsibility for the accident that occurred due to Alesi’s poor judgment.