Massachusetts family awarded wrongful death settlement

It’s unfortunate whenever a life is cut short prematurely. Often it can feel even more tragic when that life had only recently entered adulthood. For one Massachusetts family, the pain may begin to diminish now that they’ve reached a settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit, which followed the death of their 20-year-old daughter.

The young woman died after tailgating with two friends in the parking lot of Gillette Stadium during a country music festival. One of the friends was driving when her vehicle ran off the road and collided into a tree. Reports show the woman’s blood-alcohol level measured roughly three times over the limit at which a person can legally drive. Both women died and another women, who was a passenger in the car at the time of the crash, was critically injured.

The family bringing the wrongful death lawsuit claimed the company that owns the stadium should have done more to stop the underage drinking that was taking place in the parking lot. They say the end result, including both deaths, was predictable and could have been prevented if stadium officials had been more strictly enforcing the legal drinking age on their property. They originally sought $2.5 million; the final settlement amount was not announced publicly.

For the family, no amount of money can take away the pain of losing a loved one. They say they only hope the results of their wrongful death lawsuit can help raise awareness for organizers in Massachusetts who need to be mindful about the age of their event’s attendees and the oversight needed for their activities. They are trying to prevent another family from going through a similar situation.

Source: The Boston Globe, Settlement reached in lawsuit over crash deaths after 2008 concert at Gillette, Peter Schworm, Nov. 4, 2013