Family Gets Wrongful Death Award for Loss of Son
When an officer uses a taser to subdue a suspect, the person will generally be stunned for a few minutes, but feel normal again afterward. In the case of a teenager in 2008, however, the circumstances were fatal.
The family of the 17-year-old boy brought a wrongful death suit against a taser manufacturer after their son died as a result of being tasered. The incident, which happened in March 2008, involved the teenager getting into a verbal altercation with a staff member from a local grocery store. An officer was dispatched and in order to subdue the teen, he tasered him for 30 seconds. Unfortunately, the use of the taser caused the teenager to die.
After inspecting the boy's body, the medical examiner determined that since the boy's heart was disease free, his death could be contributed to stress induced by the taser device. The jury awarded the family with a winning verdict because the taser manufacturer failed to warn its customers about the dangers of hitting someone near the heart with the device.
If you lost someone close to you and you have reason to believe it was a wrongful death, you may be able to file a lawsuit if you meet certain requirements. To learn if you are eligible to file a wrongful death claim in the state of Arizona,
contact the Knowles Law Firm to set up a time to meet with a
Phoenix personal injury lawyer.