There are instances in which a wrongful death lawsuit isn’t really as simple as it might initially appear. In some cases, the wrongful death lawsuit will involve appeals and having to go back and forth in court. That is what is going on with the case involving a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family members of three students who were killed in a school shooting.
The case regarding the Chardon High School shooting victims is heading back to the Lake County Common Pleas Court after the Ohio Supreme Court refused to consider the case. The lawsuit was filed in February of last year, which was two years after the shooting.
The shooting occurred when a student of an alternative school for children considered at-risk was changing buses at Chardon. The at-risk student opened fire during that bus change.
The issue at hand is who is liable for the death of the three students and the paralysis of a fourth student. The Lake County Court of Common Pleas dismissed Lake Academy and Charon district as defendants; however, other defendants remained.
The defendants who remained appealed that decision to the 11th District Court of Appeals. That court found that the previous court’s decision was appropriate. The five defendants then appealed to the state’s highest court.
This case goes to show just how long these cases can be drawn out if the appeals process is utilized. If you are considering a wrongful death lawsuit, you should make sure that you are prepared for the entire battle that you and your attorney might have to wage.
Source: The News-Herald, “Supreme Court won’t review wrongful death case in Chardon High School shootings,” Tracey Read, July 27, 2016