Wrongful Death Lawyer
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Case versus O.J. Simpson
Numerous Americans invested much of 1994-95 glued to their televisions seeing the double-murder trial of previous professional football gamer and star O.J. Simpson. After more than a year following the murders of Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her good friend Ron Goldman, Simpson was found not guilty by the jury in the criminal trial.
However, in spite of the innocent decision, the families of both victims filed a wrongful death claim against Simpson in civil court. At trial, a jury found that Simpson was accountable for deaths and granted the families $33.5 million.
This case has ended up being a landmark to show how the lower burden of proof in civil court can lead to winning a wrongful death case even after an acquittal in criminal court. Even if a prosecutor does not have adequate proof to found guilty someone of murder, there may suffice proof to adequately prove liability for wrongful death.
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Wrongful Death of Phil and Brynn Hartman
In 1998, Brynn Hartman shot her hubby, precious comedian Phil Hartman, and then herself. Brynn had been taking the anti-depressant Zoloft at the time of the murder-suicide. Her family then submitted a wrongful death claim against Zoloft’s producer, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, declaring that the drug caused Brynn to go insane and its results led her to dedicate the shootings.
Other wrongful death cases had been filed relating to antidepressants such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Prozac triggering murders and suicides. The Hartman case was in complete confidence settled.
Wrongful death cases prevail versus large pharmaceutical companies for producing and marketing risky drugs or for not completely revealing all of the potentially unsafe adverse effects of a particular drug.
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Wrongful Death of Aaliyah
In 2001, the entertainment industry was stunned when 22 year-old R&B vocalist and actress Aaliyah died in an aircraft crash along with 8 other individuals following a video shoot. Her moms and dads filed wrongful death claims versus several celebrations, consisting of both the respiratory tract company and against Virgin Records for making hazardous transportation arrangements. The suit alleged the following:
Virgin Records employed the air passage business even though it had been cited four times within 4 years;
The pilot was both unqualified and unskilled, the crash occurred on the pilot’s very first day with the company, and the pilot was not registered with or authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly the airplane;
Traces of cocaine and alcohol were found in the pilot’s system and he had previous criminal charges associated with drug;
The aircraft was 700 pounds overwhelmed and brought one more passenger than it was supposed to carry. Reports suggest that even the pilot commented that the plane was overwhelmed.
The case involving Aaliyah’s wrongful death reached a personal settlement in 2003.
