Wrongful death claim against tennis star Venus Williams

Venus Williams, the tennis megastar, has remained at the top of the pro tour for many years. She is a five-time winner of Wimbledon, and at age 37, has made it to this year’s finals. Many tennis fans in California will be rooting for her. Unfortunately, she’s also the defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit brought against her in another state.

Williams and an elderly couple were involved in a two-car crash recently. According to reports of the accident, Williams’ SUV was struck by another vehicle when both cars were in an intersection. What remains in dispute is whether Williams caused the crash by running a red light. Police now say Williams entered the intersection lawfully.

After the incident, the victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The male driver of the car that struck Williams’ vehicle remained in the hospital for two weeks. Unfortunately, he passed away from his injuries suffered in the wreck. It was this death that led to the wrongful death claim against the tennis star.

The wrongful death case against Venus Williams, like a similar claim in California, will turn in part on whether the court finds that she was negligent in a manner that caused or materially contributed to the car accident. If so, the surviving family of the deceased driver and the injured passenger would likely be entitled to a judgment for monetary damages sustained as a result of the tragedy. Seriously injured accident victims, or the surviving families of deceased victims, typically benefit by retaining experienced personal injury counsel to assess the circumstances of a particular accident, identify potentially responsible parties and litigate claims in civil court.

Source: NBC Los Angeles, “Police: Williams Legally Entered Intersection Before Crash“, July 7, 2017