Family files suit in museum accident death

The family of a Florida man has filed a lawsuit alleging that their father’s death was caused by negligence on the part of the Jell-O Museum in New York. The man was injured when a lift failed and his scooter fell about 3 feet. He sustained fatal skull fractures in the fall.

The lawsuit has been filed in federal court and lists the owners of the museum, the company that maintained the lift, and the company that sold the lift to the museum. It is unclear at this time what caused the scooter to fall. A wrongful death lawsuit is one way that families can seek answers about a loved one’s death and hold the responsible party accountable. In cases where a piece of equipment may have caused the death, a wrongful death action can also serve to expose any systemic safety problems that could exist.

“The family is seeking justice for the tragic death of their father. They don’t want this kind of thing to happen to anybody else,” said a lawyer for the family.

The victim was a veteran of the Marine Corps and had been under VA resident car for a few months before he died.

It is not clear what type or amount of damages the family is seeking. Under Florida law, they would be eligible to recover for medical expenses and other costs associated with the accident, as well as pain and suffering. Accidents like these can sometimes cause financial hardship for a family, especially if the victim was a primary wage or benefits earner and families are entitled to recovery for those losses.

Source: UPI.com, “Lawsuit filed for man who died at museum,” March 15, 2012.