Wrongful Death

Published on: January 7, 2011

Pennsylvania crash victim’s parents sue PennDOT

750px-PA-366.svg.png Jeffrey and Diana Acre have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation over the 2009 death of their daughter. They allege that PennDOT’s poor design and maintenance of Route 366 in New Kensington was a contributing factor in the death of 16-year-old Kylee Jo.

In the lawsuit filed in Westmoreland County Court, the parents blame PennDOT for not filling in a steep, 4-inch rut between the road and the shoulder. The suit says the design flaw is even more dangerous because the dropoff is located on a curve.

Kylee Jo was a front-seat passenger in an SUV that slammed into a guardrail. She was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the vehicle, Jonathan Patrick O’Sullivan, was speeding and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. He was charged with vehicular homicide, drunken driving, speeding and several related crimes.

Continue reading →

Published on: July 29, 2010

Bell Case Underlines Limits of Wrongful-Death Payouts

By GGCRBHS&M

Anthony Gair was quoted in The New York Times regarding New York Wrongful Death Law;

“The $3.25 million settlement that the city announced this week with the estate of Sean Bell, who was shot to death by the police in 2006, serves as a reminder of a ruthless truth about calculating settlements: It is generally cheaper to settle a case in which there was a death than one in which there was a serious injury…”

“That partly explains why the family of another victim of a fatal police shooting, Amadou Diallo, refused for years to accept the city’s settlement offers, said Anthony H. Gair, the lawyer who handled the case.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 20, 2010

NYC Residents Warned Against Shoddy Balconies

By GGCRBHS&M

NEW YORK (CBS) ― “The beauty of your balcony could have ugly consequences. The Department of Buildings said the balconies of 16 buildings in New York City are simply too dangerous to step on……”

“It cost 24-year-old Connor Donohue his life back in March, but New York City’s Department of Buildings said they’re taking steps to prevent another tragic fall.

What this department wants to make sure is that no tenant is put at a safety risk,” said Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri.

Continue reading →