An 11-year old Fort Myers boy died last week because of an accident at his school football practice. His death was not brought on by an intense impact injury, which one may think might lead to death on a football field. Rather, this young boy died after he was struck by lightning.
According to a report, the boy was walking out onto the football field for practice when he was struck. He was then flown to a Tampa hospital and died there after life support was turned off.
The report does not indicate the exact weather conditions at the time of the lightning strike. However, it has been alleged that there was not a lightning detecting device on the field at the time of the practice. If there had been, perhaps the practice would have been cancelled and the players would have been called off the field.
The young boy’s parents have filed a lawsuit against the school and affiliated church where the practice was being held. The boy’s father stated that his son’s death was a “needless tragedy.” His parents are undoubtedly in shock over their son’s sudden death.
In situations like this, where there were probably adults responsible for watching the children and keeping them safe, filing a lawsuit may be worthwhile. In this type of situation, a wrongful death lawsuit could help a family receive compensation for expenses incurred as a result of the accident.
To lose an 11-year-old child in any way is awful. But to lose an 11-year-old child because of a preventable accident is extremely tragic. Other parents in a similar situation to this boy’s may want to consider contacting a personal injury attorney. While financial compensation cannot eliminate the pain of losing a child, it can eliminate stress induced by financial concerns after a child’s death.
Source: 10 News, “Father: Jesse Watlington’s lightning death was a ‘needless tragedy’,” Nov. 19, 2012
For additional information on filing a lawsuit in cases like this one, please visit our Tampa wrongful death webpage.
