Personal Injury Blog

Yale University Student’s Family Suing for Wrongful Death

September 21st, 2011
Yale University Student death

The victim was murdered just four days before her wedding.

The family of a Yale University student from California, who was killed by a lab employee, has filed a lawsuit against the university, accusing it of negligence.  The wrongful death lawsuit claims that the University should have known that the employee was a potential threat to student safety.

The victim, Annie Le was a Vietnamese-American from Placerville, California.  She was murdered in the lab at her school, just four days before she was due to get married.  Lab employee Raymond Clark later admitted strangling Le.  Her body was found on what was to be her wedding day, stuffed behind a wall in the basement of the Yale School of Medicine research lab.  According to autopsy reports, she died of asphyxiation due to neck compression.  In March, Clark pleaded guilty to the murder and attempted sexual assault of Le.  In return for his plea deal, he was given a forty-four year sentence.

Her family has now filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the University.  According to the lawsuit, the school was negligent in its hiring of Raymond Clark.  The University was negligent in allowing him unrestrained access to both students and staff members.  The lawsuit also accuses the University of failing to adequately monitor his activities in the lab, and for failure to provide a secure environment for the Yale University students, including Le.  According to the lawsuit, because of Yale’s negligence, she was robbed of her ability to enjoy life, including her wedding and marriage.

Family members of persons who have been fatally injured by the negligence of others may be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit in California.  Under California’s laws, only certain survivors of the deceased can file a wrongful death lawsuit.  These include the surviving spouse, children, any dependent stepchildren and dependent parents.  A Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer may mention the following types of damages in a lawsuit.

  • Funeral and burial expenses
  • The financial compensation that the deceased would have provided to the heir, during his life expectancy or the life expectancy of the heir, whichever is shorter
  • The loss of gifts or benefits that the deceased would have provided to the heir, had he lived
  • The value of household services that the deceased would’ve provided, had he lived

Apart from these, there are certain non-economic damages that may be included in a wrongful death lawsuit.  Survivors can claim for the loss of the victim’s love, affection, companionship, consortium and protection.  A spouse may mention loss of sexual relations.  Surviving children may mention lack of training and guidance of the deceased.

 

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