Amateur Racer Sues Rocco Landers Over Supermoto Crash

[OneCheekRider]

This is now making the rounds from a supermoto kart trackday incident:

https://www.roadracingworld.com/news...permoto-crash/

To summarize from the article, court docs, and other sources:

"They rode about five laps before ROCCO lost control of his motorcycle from behind Plaintiff, over corrected, ran off the track through the dirt, and crashed directly into Plaintiff's left side"

Plaintiff broke his leg and claims he couldn't work. LinkedIn says he is a Vehicle Program Director at Rivian.

Paintiff signed the liability waiver and claimed "Rocco was negligent having multiple crashes in the same location and continued to ride in a negligent manor, at a speed faster than he could control his motorcycle".

[OreoGaborio]

... "multiple crashes in the same location"....

Uhhhh... on the same day? At a track day? Cuz... that'll raise some eyebrows for sure.



EDIT: Let me make absolutely clear that I'm not taking either side, because it makes no difference in the outcome which side I take or which side I think is right... just trying to wrap my head around why someone would sue.

[breakdirt916]

dang, at Adams kart track. It's a pretty laid back place...but don't we all know the risks of doing practice laps at a track?

[tls25rs]

Oddly the image of the waiver sheet going around didn't have Rocco's signature on it that I saw

No winners here. Sucks the guy got hurt. Especially if there was any recklessness happening from the rider that hit him. Anyone that rides on a track should know the risks and not do it if they aren't comfortable with the potential outcomes. Yes sometimes the people we share the track with are directly responsible for the events that hurt us. It could just as easily happen to us too though. Even if a rider is taking it easy and not taking big risks, a little oil/coolant on the track, an unforeseen mechanical and the rider and their motorcycle become a projectile that can hurt someone else. Usually if someone is being extremely reckless the track management or the organizer of the activity will address it prior to something like this happening.

[OneCheekRider]

Oddly the image of the waiver sheet going around didn't have Rocco's signature on it that I saw

At every track I've been to they have the legal mumbo jumbo up top on the waiver and only so many spaces for signatures at the bottom. When the bottom is filled up, they have a copy of the same waiver ready to go.

It's also possible they use a separate waiver for "celebrities". I would definitely search out Keanu if I saw his name on a waiver haha

[Paul_E_D]

Bottom line is, lawsuits put the whole sport in jeopardy. The very real possibility is that the organizers are left unable to get insurance. All organizers. It doesn't matter who is at fault.

[Kurlon]

Based on the Laguna suit, I suspect the suit as filed shot itself in the foot. The rider noted they observed Rocco crash twice before deciding to go out on track themselves with Rocco. They saw an issue, didn't talk to anyone about it, and went out anyway... knew the exact risk at play and accepted it by going out. Giant grains of salt over the shoulder, I'm not a lawyer.

[MUZ720]

What happened in that lawsuit with the guy at Laguna? Can't remember the year and if he crashed alone or was taken out.

[Paul_E_D]

He went off track and hit a drainage barrier. His suit was not successful.

[OreoGaborio]

Thankfully, it was ruled that if it didn't want to get hit, then the drainage barrier shouldn't have been dressed that way.

[MUZ720]

Can wavers be writen to have a clause about not being able to sue the track or other riders?

[OreoGaborio]

There isn't a single "sue proof" waiver in the world. Our legal system is such that you can sue anyone for anything. You could write a waiver saying nothing but "Pete can't sue me", I could sign it, in sound mind, with witnesses... and I can still sue you.

Doesn't mean the judge can't call you an idiot and throw you out of his or her courtroom, though.

[ducatirdr]

Based on the Laguna suit, I suspect the suit as filed shot itself in the foot. The rider noted they observed Rocco crash twice before deciding to go out on track themselves with Rocco. They saw an issue, didn't talk to anyone about it, and went out anyway... knew the exact risk at play and accepted it by going out. Giant grains of salt over the shoulder, I'm not a lawyer.

I agree with your logic. The court probably would as well. I have done the Socal Supermoto back in the day. Jamie Robinson from MotoGeo youtube was the guest instructor. What a great time I had.



There is a tight kink into the dirt from the main straight. Possibly he was trying to gain some time into that dirt and blew past it into the landing zone of the big dirt jump. Either way it sucks to get taken out by someone that was obviously training slides on dirt which is about as sketchy as it gets.

[xrocket21]

Is it the guy suing or his insurance?

[Kurlon]

Is it the guy suing or his insurance?

Appears to be filed by his parents, not on behalf of insurance.

[Paul_E_D]

This is interesting. A personal suit. I'm thinking there's some animosity

[obsolete]

There isn't a single "sue proof" waiver in the world. Our legal system is such that you can sue anyone for anything. You could write a waiver saying nothing but "Pete can't sue me", I could sign it, in sound mind, with witnesses... and I can still sue you.

Doesn't mean the judge can't call you an idiot and throw you out of his or her courtroom, though.

I too am not a lawyer, but I think the general issue with liability waivers and lawsuits is that gross negligence is not waivable. The suits are based on people trying to make a case that harm was due to gross negligence and not the inherent danger.

[OneCheekRider]

Appears to be filed by his parents, not on behalf of insurance.

Article I posted says his wife & father-in-law are both lawyers.

[Paul_E_D]

I too am not a lawyer, but I think the general issue with liability waivers and lawsuits is that gross negligence is not waivable. The suits are based on people trying to make a case that harm was due to gross negligence and not the inherent danger.

Correct, but if crashing, or other riding mistakes are seen to be negligent, then we are in even deeper trouble. Negative exposure like this is a worst case scenario because it's an easy leap to say the sport is too dangerous and cruel. Like bullfighting, people will just assume have it go away. There are serious mixed messages out there about extreme sports.

[JettaJayGLS]

They're suing Rocco, not the track day program.

I agree with Paul that this will still trickle down to track day/racing organizations.

My hunch is that they will need to make the case that Rocco did not hold up his end of the waiver/agreement with the track day org.

This still grind my gears. With some digging - this guy makes likely 225-235k cash comp at Rivian. Rivian absolutely provides short term disability coverage and likely good health insurance. His wife and FIL are lawyers. If they "need the money," or can't manage a financial set-back from a disability, that is more-likely-than-not on them. We ALL take this risk when we play risky sports.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-dachner-a14b9016/

I'd be curious what the personal vendetta could be. Maybe they had words/interactions before? Even still - to let a 20 year old kid get under your skin and sue him....that would have to be some serious serious history. At that point, you walk away the older, wiser man.

I'm curious to see where this goes, but my first reaction, without all the facts, is that its ridiculous.

[OreoGaborio]

With some digging - this guy makes likely 225-235k cash comp at Rivian. Rivian absolutely provides short term disability coverage and likely good health insurance. His wife and FIL are lawyers. If they "need the money," or can't manage a financial set-back from a disability, that is more-likely-than-not on them. We ALL take this risk when we play risky sports.

This, 1000000%, is why I hope this guy loses his shirt in this lawsuit (not that he will or even can). Facts be damned, Rocco's fault or not, waiver or not, fuck this guy.

[obsolete]

Correct, but if crashing, or other riding mistakes are seen to be negligent, then we are in even deeper trouble. Negative exposure like this is a worst case scenario because it's an easy leap to say the sport is too dangerous and cruel. Like bullfighting, people will just assume have it go away. There are serious mixed messages out there about extreme sports.

I agree, just stating that's the angle they're trying for. Like this case: https://coloradosun.com/2025/09/04/j...-vail-resorts/

Right, wrong or indifferent it's all about proving gross negligence to a judge / jury. Who could absolutely be a cunt / cunts.

The world is crazy in this realm. Social media is making things cool and people are getting in over their head trying it then looking for a lawsuit when they in fact went in too hot and ran outta talent. I'm waiting for an S&R organization or mountain to get sued due to all the people that want to be backcountry skiers but barely have the outdoor abilities for light apre.

[JettaJayGLS]

Devils advocate to my own post.

Being a lawyer doesn't mean your rich. A corporate lawyer, yes. But the article that stated they're lawyers is clearly biased to Rocco (they're defending him), and that message was clearly inserted to generate the response I gave.

Maybe they're both public defenders doing good work for little money? And maybe the plaintiff has been fucked by the healthcare system and is in serious debt from it. You could argue, that if thats the case, he shouldn't be racing motorcycles.

Anyway - curious to see where this goes, and I'm still holding my original opinion.

[Kurlon]

https://forums.13x.com/index.php?thr...e-bike.387984/

So, apparently a former racer, as such should be familiar with the whole why we don't sue each other bit?

[MUZ720]

Did the plaintive have a choice of track sessions? Were any of them skill rated and if so, he chose to go out with Rocco which I would think was the racer level one and Dad being a racer is more of a what the fuck than anything else.