Wrongful Death
In a wrongful death case the victim’s survivors file a lawsuit that claims that the victim’s death was caused by negligent actions on the part of the defendant. These lawsuits are filed to seek monetary damages from the negligent party for their conduct that resulted in the death of the victim.
Toyota has seen an increase in wrongful death lawsuits filed against the manufacturer since the recent recalls of thousands of cars and for various other issues. To date it is unknown the exact number of lawsuits the manufacturer is currently facing since suits have been filed throughout the United States. Some of the wrongful death suites are for obvious negligent actions on behalf of Toyota others are not so clear cut.
One case recently filed against the manufacturer is horrible tragedy that occurred to a young 19 year old man but it’s not clear if the defendant is truly negligent or if possibly the actions of the young man created a horrible tragedy. Nobody ever wants to blame the victim of a tragedy but in many wrongful death claims survivors are so grief stricken that they feel somebody should pay. The mother of 19 year old David Byers who, while filling his Toyota Yaris with gas became engulfed in flames and burned to death has recently filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Toyota and BP. “Early on “March 5, 2010, the young college student was on his way to work and stopped to gas up his Toyota Yaris at a BP station in the town of Battle Creek. Seconds later, 19-year-old David Byers was engulfed in flames and burned to death.”(B. Craig) According to the police investigation and the coroner report the fire was caused by static electricity discharge. “It is believed that Byers began filling the tank and then opened the door to retrieve something” When he returned to the pump to finish filling up the electricity discharge sparked the fire. “According to the lawyer, who has filed the wrongful death suit on behalf of the victim’s mother, there are...