One of the most critical, yet most overlooked issues in the legal world is jurisdiction. When people attempt to take matters into their own hands and handle a legal claim, a mistake regarding this highly technical and highly complicated issue can be incredibly costly. Such could have been the case if the family of a British man who was killed in Fort Lauderdale by a resident of Chicago had attempted to deal with the jurisdiction issue alone.
They didn’t, and according to the Chicago Tribune, they filed a lawsuit against the driver:
“Authorities say Ryan LeVin’s sports car struck and killed businessmen Craig Elford, 39, and Kenneth Watkinson, 48, as they walked in Ft. Lauderdale on Feb. 13. LeVin has told police that a friend was driving, but no charges have been filed.
Elford’s wife, Claire, said she hopes the civil suit will shed light on how LeVin’s $120,000 911 Turbo ended up hitting her husband and his colleague, her lawyer said.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in South Florida, alleges LeVin was either driving the Porsche when the men were hit or had given the keys to his friend Derek Cook as they barhopped. Cook also was named in the suit.”
When a terrible situation such as this one arises, the worst thing you can do is to simply react without taking a step back and realizing that you need the help of an experienced professional who will be able to help you understand the process involved with pursuing a legal claim. People who are grieving are rarely in a condition to make such decisions. If you find yourself wondering how to get help, contact the Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys at Bernstein & Maryanoff. The firm has been helping victims of situations like these for more than two decades.
Wed, Apr 29, 2009
Accident Lawyers, Wrongful Death