The unexpected loss of a loved one is always difficult to deal with. This is particularly true when the individual who dies is a young person who has their entire life ahead of them. These incidents sadly occur in communities throughout the nation including the state of North Carolina. On these occasions the loved ones of the person who died may feel as if they do not have any options. The reality however, is that they may.
The course of action available to someone who loses a loved one will vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the death. When negligent actions on the part of another person are at least in part to blame, it is possible that a wrongful death lawsuit could be filed.
The family of a North Carolina college student who died a couple of years ago recently did this very thing. The lawsuit was filed against High Point University. In it, the young man’s parents allege that their son’s death was the result of hazing in conjunction with a fraternity he was pledging. More specifically they claim that members of the fraternity engaged in battery and assault and that the trauma they inflicted upon him led to his death. An autopsy also determined that the college student had overdosed on drugs.
The student’s parents seek damages in excess of $10,000. Those damages are for civil conspiracy, assault and battery, negligence and wrongful death. While most parents would trade all the money in the world to bring back a child, financial compensation may make it easier to move forward.
Source: WXII, “High Point University sued over student’s alleged hazing death,” Pat Kimbrough, March 21, 2014