$29 Million Dollar Lawsuit Filed Over the Death of a Daughter

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in the Delmarva area, or anyone anywhere for that matter, that doesn’t recognize the names Yeardley Love or George Huguely.

In case you’ve had your head in the sand and haven’t heard these names, the story here is tragic. Yeardley Love was a popular and beautiful University of Virginia lacrosse player, whose was killed in an awful and vicious manner. Love’s former boyfriend, George Huguely, was convicted of her death and is currently awaiting sentencing.

It is being reported that Yeardley Love’s family has filed a lawsuit against George Huguely, and is asking for $29.45 million dollars in compensatory damages, with another $1 million being sought in punitive damages. The lawsuit states that Huguely “acted with such indifference to Love that his conduct constituted an utter disregard of caution amounting to a complete neglect of safety for Love.” Moreover, the suit said that Huguely “was aware, or should have been aware’ that Love was severely injured after the physical altercation that would result in her death.” The suit names Love’s sisters as beneficiaries of her estate.

Now obviously, the probability that they would ever see a penny from a verdict in this suit is pretty low…I will even go out on a limb and say zero (Ronald Goldman’s family is still waiting for a payout in their lawsuit). But, if a hefty verdict against Huguely is what the family seeks in order to move on, then so be it. I can’t say it is what I think I would do. But how can anyone pretend to be able to put themselves in the shoes of those parents?

Regardless of the outcome, this was a senseless and tragic death, and one can only hope that somebody, somewhere has learned from this case.