North Carolina residents may be familiar with the storm chasing reports on the Weather Channel, especially on its program “Storm Wranglers.” Two stars of that show died in a car crash back in March 2017 near the city of Spur, Texas. The crash also claimed the life of a 25-year-old storm spotter working for the National Weather Service.
The Weather Channel’s two storm chasers were speeding down the highway searching for any signs of a tornado when they ran a stop sign and crashed into the storm spotter’s jeep. The video of the chase was being live streamed on the Weather Channel’s Facebook page. All three died on impact.
Two years later, the mother of the 25-year-old victim has filed a wrongful death suit against the Weather Channel, claiming that the storm-chasing duo had a long history of unsafe behavior behind the wheel. Far from discouraging this, in-studio representatives at the Weather Channel encouraged the behavior during live streams so that the resulting footage would impress viewers with a sense of danger.
This meant that the television stars would habitually ignore stop signs and traffic lights, drive on private property, drive on the wrong side of the road and break numerous other traffic laws. The Weather Channel is withholding comment on the pending litigation. The plaintiff is suing for $125 million in damages.
In fatal accidents like this, family members or other eligible dependents may be able to seek reimbursement for things like funeral and burial expenses, pre-death medical bills, loss of support and loss of consortium. Almost any personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit can become contentious, which is why families may want to retain legal representation. A lawyer may handle all negotiations with the other party’s legal team, taking the case to court if a settlement cannot be reached.