Wrongful Death Settlement in Case Against Former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice
Although no terms have been released, a lawsuit against former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips has been settled.
An alcohol-related lawsuit accused Phillips and his wife of allowing minors to drink alcohol at their home, thus causing the car accident that killed 17-year-old passenger Audrey King. The young girl had been at a party at the ex-judge's residence that was allegedly hosted by his son before the accident. Phillips and his wife said that they had no idea King was at their home, nor that any minors were drinking.
Last summer, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the girl's parents, Cheryl and Bobby King.
Unfortunately nothing can bring Audrey back to her parents but hopefully with this wrongful death settlement reached, the King family will feel that a little bit of justice has been done.
I’ve been keeping up with this case not only because my practice handles wrongful death claims but also because I can’t believe a former judge would be so careless in his actions. Judge Phillips and his wife said they didn’t know their son was hosting a party, but that excuse really doesn’t fly with me. It’s their house! How do they not know who’s there and what they are doing?!
Nobody is above the law. Not even a judge. If the Phillips really didn’t know who was in their home then they shouldn’t have been so negligent with their front door. To me, the facts are pretty clear in this case: their house, their booze, their fault.
This commentary was provided by Mark Anderson, a personal injury trial lawyer practicing in Fort Worth, Texas. If you think you may have a wrongful death claim on behalf of a loved one, call the Anderson Law Firm at 817-294-1900 today for a free case consultation.
