Having a loved one pass away in any situation can be extremely challenging to deal with. If it is due to the negligence of ill will of another person, it can be even more difficult. In some cases this could result in a wrongful death lawsuit. While wrongful death claims and lawsuits do occur on a regular basis, there are some that become major headlines and capture the attention of people all over the globe. These are some of the most famous wrongful death cases and settlements.
OJ Simpson Civil Trial
One of the most famous trials of any kind came in the mid-1990s when OJ Simpson was accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. This story gathered national attention as OJ Simpson was well known for being a Hall of Fame professional football player and current actor. Ultimately, Simpson was acquitted of all legal charges and was set free. Once he was acquitted, both the Brown and Goldman families filed a wrongful death claim against Simpson.
During the civil trial proceedings, Simpson was determined to be responsible for the deaths of both Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson. The families were collectively awarded a $33.5mln amount in compensatory damages. Despite having reached a judgment more than 20 years ago, very little of the funds owned by Simpson have been paid.
Read next: 10 Emergency Kit Essentials to Keep in Your Home
Phil Hartman Death
During the 1990s Phil Hartman was one of the most successful comedians in the world. He was also a major participant and actor in a variety of shows, including The Simpsons. However, his life came to a tragic end in 1998 when he was murdered by his wife Brynn. Following the murder, Brynn took her own life as well. The news of this murder quickly spread across the globe and shocked Brynn’s family as well.
Brynn Hartman’s brother soon filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, which produces the popular anti-depressant product Zoloft. The lawsuit claimed that Zoloft was prescribed as Brynn was suffering from depression and panic attacks. While it was intended to help with these issues, the lawsuit claimed that Zoloft caused her to go insane which then resulted in her murdering her husband and taking her own life. This case ended up being settled outside the court system and the terms of the settlement will never be released.
Nancy Grace Wrongful Death Claim
Nancy Grace is one of the most famous legal analysts and reporters in the world. Over the course of her career, Nancy Grace investigated a wide range of different crimes. In some cases, her analysis helped law enforcement professionals solve some challenging crimes. However, there was one particular situation in which her efforts caused a series of events that led to the tragic suicide death of a young woman.
In 2006 a young child went missing. Initially, the 21-year-old mother of the child was not considered a suspect after the case and been investigated by police. However, during an interview, Nancy Grace continued to press and question the mother of the child about where the child could be today and even suggested that the mother killed the child. This clearly caused a lot of stress and strain on the mother and young woman who was already struggling and ended up committing suicide shortly after the interview. The family ended up suing Nancy Grace for wrongful death and ended up settling the case outside of court.
Read next: 21 Things to Do If Someone is Feeling Depressed
Joan Rivers Wrongful Death
For decades, one of the most recognizable comedians and television personalities in the world was Joan Rivers. Unfortunately, Joan Rivers passed away in August 2014 after going into to see a doctor due to a sore throat and hoarse voice. The doctors and the medical practice decided to perform a couple of routine procedures, one of which required her to be sedated. The wrongful death lawsuit claimed that the doctors did not provide sufficient care to Rivers during the process, which led to her passing away. During the procedure, the doctors even took selfie photos of her while she was sedated.
Following the death of her mother, Joan Rivers daughter was concerned about responses from the medical team. She opted to file a wrongful death claim against the medical professionals and their clinic stating that their negligence led to her death during what should have been a routine procedure. Ultimately, a settlement was reached between the Joan Rivers estate and the defendants. The ultimate dollar amount of the settlement was not disclosed and will likely remain a private matter for the foreseeable future.
If you are involved in any type of situation that results in wrongful death, it is almost always better for all people to settle the matter outside the courtroom. As settlements can clearly be significant in wrongful death cases, you should make sure that you have a quality attorney by your side. The team with Wapner Newman can provide you with a consultation on your case and provide all support that you need during the legal process, which can include helping you to negotiate a settlement.
