Wood Shop Accident Case Goes To Court

Los Angeles - Who's at fault? A 13-year-old boy who sliced off his fingertips in a woodshop class, or the veteran teacher who stepped out, leaving him unsupervised? That's what a jury had to decide in a court case that boiled down to personal responsibility.

Script:

When Anwar Stetson was 13 years old, he sliced off two fingertips in a wood shop class at a Los Angeles middle school.

His teacher... a 30-year veteran... had stepped out of the classroom when the accident occurred.

The lawyer for the teacher says the whole thing is about personal responsibility. The jury agreed.

Although they found the teacher negligent, they determined the teen was completely responsible for his actions, awarding him no damages.

Stetson's lawyer, Brian Chase, says the whole issue is out of control.

Brian Chase
"When you've got a 30 year veteran in woodshop who abandons his duties and leaves the classroom... and you've got a student in there completely unsupervised, cuts off the tips of his fingers and you hang all the responsibilty on that student, outrageous."

Keith Wyatt
"Anwar Stetson was in a hurry trying to get something finished and while he was rushing his hand slipped off the wood and he was injured."

Chase says personal responsibilty is a growing theme in America, but he says, when it applies to unsupervised kids, it's gone too far.

Brian Chase
"Let's say you had a 13-year-old who had a couple of swim lessons and can puddle around the pool. Can the lifeguard then leave the pool and let the 13-year-old puddle around and drown and say well you knew how to swim.... It was very clear from the outset that this jury panel was going to hold this child accountable."

Attorney Wyatt, in his closing argument, convinced the jury that the student had to own up.

Keith Wyatt
"Anwar Stetson made a mistake, he did, he knows that and he had to pay a terrible price for that mistake. Unfortunately, that's sometimes what happens in life."