Here's your warning: this appears to be a case that will have people again howling for legal reform. According to USA Today, on July 26, 2009 Diane Schuler drove her minivan the wrong way on the Taconic State Parkway in New York, eventually colliding head-on with an SUV. Schuler was killed, along with her daughter and three nieces. The three men in the SUV were also killed. Let's pause a moment right here and quote one of the parties in the subsequent events, who admitted that things "pale in comparison to the real tragedy of the day." Among those events, though, is a feeding frenzy of lawsuits.
Toxicology reports determined that Schuler was both drunk and high at the time of the collision, findings her husband, Daniel, has consistently said cannot be true. Official accounts of Schuler's behavior on the day, however, would suggest she was certainly under the influence of something.
In fact, Daniel Schuler doesn't believe his wife is at all at fault in the crash. He has filed suit against the state of New York alleging that the state's "negligence, carelessness and recklessness" concerning highway upkeep and signage are the only reasons his daughter suffered fatal injuries. Specifically, he insists that highway conditions were unsafe, lanes weren't properly marked and there weren't barriers and cones to provide adequate warning.
Schuler has also filed suit against his late wife's brother, Warren Hance, who was the father of three of the girls in the car who died. Schuler contends that since Hance owned the minivan that Diane was driving, Hance is also at fault. On top of all of that, a relative of one of the victims in the SUV is suing the sister of the SUV's driver, alleging that the late driver's estate bears some responsibility for him being hit head-on by Diane Schuler. If you were looking for a new definition of the word "mess," this is probably it...
Toxicology reports determined that Schuler was both drunk and high at the time of the collision, findings her husband, Daniel, has consistently said cannot be true. Official accounts of Schuler's behavior on the day, however, would suggest she was certainly under the influence of something.
In fact, Daniel Schuler doesn't believe his wife is at all at fault in the crash. He has filed suit against the state of New York alleging that the state's "negligence, carelessness and recklessness" concerning highway upkeep and signage are the only reasons his daughter suffered fatal injuries. Specifically, he insists that highway conditions were unsafe, lanes weren't properly marked and there weren't barriers and cones to provide adequate warning.
Schuler has also filed suit against his late wife's brother, Warren Hance, who was the father of three of the girls in the car who died. Schuler contends that since Hance owned the minivan that Diane was driving, Hance is also at fault. On top of all of that, a relative of one of the victims in the SUV is suing the sister of the SUV's driver, alleging that the late driver's estate bears some responsibility for him being hit head-on by Diane Schuler. If you were looking for a new definition of the word "mess," this is probably it...
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