Wrongful death lawsuit settled after stone kills girl

Wrongful death lawsuits can be filed in North Carolina against a negligent person or company if their negligence caused a fatal accident or injury. A recent wrongful death lawsuit has been settled after a teenage girl was killed after leaving a high school graduation party.

The fatal accident occurred after a teenager attended a graduation party in 2010. When she left the party, a man from the party threw a paving stone through the window of the car she was riding in, fatally injuring the teenage girl.

The man who threw the paving stone plead guilty to second-degree murder and is currently serving 12 to 15 years in prison.

After the man pleads guilty, the teenager’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him, and some of the guests of the graduation party accusing them of negligence that leads to the fatal incident that killed her daughter. She also sued the mother and son who threw the graduation party, alleging that they were negligent by allowing underage teens to drink alcohol at the party.

Confidential settlements were reached between the victim’s mother and the defendants.

This case is an example of the legal action that can be taken against negligent parties after an accident or injury resulting in death. In North Carolina, wrongful death lawsuits have to be filed within two years of the date of the victim’s death. A wrongful death lawsuit may be pursued if someone else’s negligence or recklessness leads to a fatal accident or injury.

Wrongful death lawsuits can be very difficult to consider, especially when family members are still grieving the loss of a loved one. However, if negligence caused a family member’s death, the responsible party can be held liable for their carelessness as well as provide financial support during a family member’s time of need.

Source: My Fox 8, “Wrongful death lawsuit involving Davidson Co. girl killed by stone settled,” Jan. 7, 2013

Our law firm handles wrongful death cases like the one mentioned in this post. To learn more about our practice, please visit our Charlotte wrongful death page.