Dennis Quaid Is Being Sued Over Near Fatal Horse Accident

Dennis Quaid is being sued by a senior citizen over a nearly fatal horse riding incident on the actor’s equestrian estate. Lester Wood, 70, claims the Soul Surfer leading man gave him permission to ride on his trails in order to reach a park in the Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles. The man initiated a lawsuit against Quaid due to the life-threatening injuries he sustained on the property, TMZ reports.

During an interview with the Palisadian-Post, Wood stated the sprinkler system next to the movie star’s trail unexpectedly activated, spooking his horse, which then fell on top of him. The elderly man arrived at a nearby hospital in critical condition after suffering a fractured scapula, concussion, torn aorta, broken ribs, a nicked liver, multiple pulmonary emboli, fractured lumbar discs, torn meniscus, a shattered pelvis, and internal bleeding.

The elderly California outdoorsman had this to say about the incident:

“Horseback riding is a passion of mine. The horse was fine, it seems he landed on a cushion – me. The first day at the center, they got me up and I tried to take a step. After that attempt I was sweating, shaking, and needed to go back to bed. But by the time I left, I was on a set of crutches. I don’t have any fear of riding. I just don’t feel my hips are flexible enough to control the horse.”

Lester Wood was not wearing a riding helmet when mounted on Scout and noted that, at the time of the incident, he was looking down at his watch. Scout was sold to a local couple so he could be taken care of and ridden on a regular basis. Although Dennis Quaid no longer owns the equestrian estate, the senior citizen still blames him for what he believes is a flawed trail design, according to TMZ.