Jury awards $21.6 million in wrongful death for cell phone case
In West Palm Beach, a wrongul death case between a distracted driver using a cell phone and a widowed stay-at-home father, for the death of his wife was settled in court with a jury verdict of $21.6 million.
The accident happened in 2004, when the defendant, Shelia Hulick was involved in a deadly car wreck that took the life of Lesley Beers, wife and mother of two small children. Sheila was reportedly distracted by talking on her cell phone. The widowed husband, Stephen Beers filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Sheila Hulick and the corporation that owned the company car she was driving when Hulick was involved in a rush hour crash that killed his wife.
The defense allegedly turned down a $12 million settlement offer, that being the case, Florida law allows the Plaintiffs to recover the estimated millions that was spent in attorney fees and court costs preparing for the trial. Time will tell if the defendant's attorneys will file an appeal contesting this large wrongful death verdict.
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