Tennis star Venus Williams may have to address allegations that she was distracted by her mobile phone when she was involved in a Florida car accident. The family of the man who died after the collision has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Williams. An out of court agreement was reached for the mobile phone records to be handed over to the legal counsel for the plaintiff.
Surveillance footage that showed the incident was released in March. It shows Williams and another car in front of her enter an intersection on a green light. The other car stopped in the intersection to make a left turn. Williams claimed to have briefly paused to avoid rear ending that car, and then proceeded through the intersection.
Reportedly, it was when she continued that she allegedly placed her car in the way of the vehicle in which the deceased man was a passenger. A collision occurred that sent the 78-year-old passenger in the other car to the hospital. He succumbed to his injuries 13 days later.
Whenever a life is lost in a car accident in Florida, the surviving family members may have the right to pursue claims for financial relief. However, not every fatal crash presents sufficient grounds to establish a wrongful death claim in court. To determine the viability of such a lawsuit, it might be a good idea to retain the services of an experienced personal injury attorney who can launch an independent investigation. If there are grounds to sue, the lawyer can navigate the legal proceedings on behalf of the plaintiff/s.
Source: CBS News, “Venus Williams’ cellphone data to be turned over to lawyers in car crash case“, Kin Chueng, Aug. 22, 2017