When it comes to a wrongful death decision by a court, the standard of proof for a criminal trial parts ways from the standard in a civil trial. The burden of proof is higher in the criminal trial, as the guilt of the accused party must meet the beyond a reasonable doubt threshold.
For a civil trial, the pertinent standard to find a person liable for a wrongful death rests on a concept known as a preponderance of evidence.
Death of jail inmate
The Tribune in San Luis Obispo reported a five-figure settlement in the wrongful death suit concerning a jail inmate who died in 2017. The man alerted authorities of shoulder pain and a clammy feeling. but he received no medical treatment. Jail staff found him unresponsive an hour later. The lawsuit contended that indifference to the man’s medical needs violated state and federal laws. The lawyer in the case also alleged that inmates in the facility regularly received unqualified and inadequate medical care. A mediation session resulted in the settlement, though later the family withdrew its acceptance of the settlement.
Death of Kobe Bryant
A report on Yahoo states that the widow of basketball legend Kobe Bryant filed a wrongful death suit against the owner of the helicopter that crashed with Bryant aboard. The lawyers for Vanessa Bryant filed a motion to seek unspecified damages. The lawsuit claims that the helicopter pilot flew at 180 miles per hour in a heavy fog over treacherous terrain. The lawsuit also contends the pilot failed to properly monitor the weather conditions and failed to control the helicopter.