Wisconsin residents who view the Weather Channel may remember an incident back in March of 2017 that involved the stars of the show “Storm Wranglers.” The duo was driving near the city of Spur, Texas, to chase a tornado when they ran a stop sign and collided with another vehicle. The two stars and the 25-year-old driver of the other vehicle died upon impact.
Everything up to the accident was being livestreamed on the Weather Channel’s Facebook page. Those familiar with “Storm Wranglers” know that the duo was known for their dramatic chases. Other storm chasers had expressed their concern over the duo’s driving behavior long before the accident took place.
Now, the mother of the 25-year-old who was killed is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Weather Channel. Lawyers state that the network knew about the pair’s history of reckless driving but did nothing about it. Text messages between other storm chasers and one of the show’s producers composed part of the evidence.
The victim was a storm spotter for the National Weather Service. The Weather Channel has expressed its condolences for the loss of all three victims’ lives but has declined to comment on pending litigation. The plaintiff is suing the network for $125 million.
As can be seen from the story above, wrongful death suits can involve millions of dollars in damages, so it is not surprising when they meet strong opposition from defendants. Families or other eligible dependents of those killed through another’s negligence might consider filing such a lawsuit, but it may be best to do so with a lawyer. The lawyer may bring in third parties like investigators to determine the other’s negligence. Plaintiffs might ultimately be reimbursed for funeral and burial costs, any pre-death medical bills and loss of support.