Death is always a difficult situation for surviving family members to deal with. If the death is unexpected and due to the negligence of another, it can be even more difficult because it was preventable. In these cases, the family of the victim may have a wrongful death claim and may be entitled to compensation for their loss. This compensation may include medical expenses, funeral costs and loss of companionship.The family of a Florida man has tentatively settled with county and state officials for their loss. The man suffered a stroke that was fatal. The man was arrested and put in jail for 36 hours without receiving any treatment for the stroke. The settlement will hopefully put an end to the lawsuit that his family brought against the state. The family of the deceased has already received one million dollars from the county Sheriff's Office.The details of the settlement have not been released yet but they will eventually be public because it must be approved by the county.The settlement with the Sheriff's department will prevent the victim's children from discussing the his death. As a part of this earlier settlement, a review of the individuals involved was completed but no officers were disciplined. Though the department did identify officer who had made mistakes in the incident.The victim was arrested after his car hit a guardrail in May 2012. The police observed impairment by the man and arrested him. The man did not respond when the police asked him to step out of the car. His stroke went undiagnosed for two days. When he finally received medical care, he was diagnosed with a stroke. The man died three months later from complications from the untreated stroke. Source: Tampa Bay Times, "County and state tentatively settle wrongful death claims for Tampa stroke victim," Peter Jamison, Sept. 13, 2013
top of page
bottom of page