The parents of an Ohio teenager who was killed in a car crash while travelling to prom filed a lawsuit against the driver of the vehicle and her parents. The civil suit was filed in excess of $25,000 for the wrongful death of the 17-year-old girl and seeks both punitive and compensatory damages.
The driver in the accident was driving three friends to the high school prom in May 2018 while travelling at high speeds. The driver allegedly lost control of the Tesla vehicle that she was driving and hit a telephone pole. The 17-year-old victim was sitting in the backseat at the time of the crash and was not wearing a seat belt. She was ejected from the vehicle during the accident and was taken to the hospital. After three days in the intensive care unit, she was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle was later arrested and is facing one count of aggravated homicide and two other counts of aggravated vehicular assault. She is set to face the charges in juvenile court.
The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that the driver and the parents are responsible for compensatory and punitive damages because the teenage driver behaved in a malicious and reckless manner when operating the vehicle. The parents were also named in the lawsuit for entrusting their daughter with a vehicle. The lawsuit attempts to show a history of irresponsible driving by mentioning a previous traffic incident involving the driver.
When a fatality occurs as the result of the car crash, a wrongful death suit may be filed in order to recover compensation for medical bills and lost wages as well as punitive damages. In Ohio, a civil suit can be filed to seek punitive damages on behalf of the mental anguish that the victim experienced as well as loss of companionship by the family. If the court in this case rules that the driver behaved negligently while driving, the parents of the girl killed may be able to collect damages in the civil suit.
Source: Journal-News, “Monroe prom night crash: Parents of student killed file lawsuit,” Denise Callahan, 11/20/2018