Clingan v. Town of Preston and Gorman Group, Filed New London in 2012
In June 2011, the Gorman Group was hired by the Town of Preston to chip seal Matthewson Mill Road. According to a paving company owner we hired to investigate, this process leaves a dangerous buildup of loose rock, and requires 1) warning motorists and 2) periodic street-sweeping in the days and weeks following the application. Neither Gorman nor Preston provided proper warnings or periodic cleaning. This led to a motorcyclist traveling at low speeds losing control and crashing into a stone wall adjacent to the road. The plaintiff, a 23 year old mother and athlete, badly fractured her spine and is now a partial paraplegic. The case against the Town requires proving that the sole proximate cause of the injuries was the dangerous rock left in the road, while the claim against Gorman Group is a normal negligence action. What is Chip Seal? Description of the Process and Need to Clean Up.