Bruce Jenner embroiled in wrongful death case after crash
Anyone who has driven in Los Angeles area traffic know that crashes are an everyday occurrence. With so many vehicles on the road at any given time, collisions are bound to happen. Even celebrities are prone to crashes, as former Olympian Bruce Jenner can attest. Jenner was driving his vehicle and towing a trailer when he rear-ended a vehicle in February, killing one person and injuring five others. The stepchildren of the deceased woman have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jenner, but so far, courts are saying he owes them nothing.
The fatal auto crash happened on Malibu’s Pacific Coast Highway on February 7. Jenner was allegedly speeding when he hit the 69-year-old woman’s car, which was then pushed into oncoming traffic. Even though Jenner’s alleged negligence caused the accident, he has responded to the wrongful death suit against him by saying that he is not obligated to pay compensation to the stepchildren – ages 57 and 60 – because they are both financially independent and have not suffered financial damages due to their stepmother’s death.
The stepchildren are fighting back, saying that the crash has caused them the loss of their stepmother’s love and affection. Plus, they claim that they have in fact had to pay damages and want compensation. They also want someone to be held responsible for their stepmother’s crash, and a wrongful death lawsuit is the only option available to them, since Jenner faces no criminal charges. An investigation is still ongoing into the crash.
The sudden death of a parent can be devastating at any age and bring it with emotional and financial costs. Since a civil suit is independent of criminal charges, it is usually possible to hold a negligent party accountable for their actions. Since there are many complexities involved in the process, it may be in the victim’s best interests to consult an experienced official and determine the best course of action to pursue a civit suit against a negligent driver.
Source: Los Angeles Times, “Bruce Jenner fights wrongful-death lawsuit in fatal Malibu crash,”Joseph Serna and Veronica Rocha, May 28, 2015