6/3/2015
Gender isn’t the only thing Bruce Jenner is out to change. He recently filed to dismiss a wrongful death suit concerning an accident on Malibu’s Pacific Coast Highway in February 2015. One woman, Kimberly Howe, 69, was killed while her five passengers were injured.
William Howe,57, and Dana Redmond, 60, sued Jenner in May claiming that the impact from Jenner’s SUV “propelled” Kimberly Howe’s vehicle into another lane on the highway. At present, the amount of damages asked for is unavailable.
Jenner’s motion for dismissal is based on the plaintiff’s lack of standing to sue for wrongful death. According to California’s rules, in order for stepchildren to have standing to sue, they must be financially dependent on the deceased for the necessities of life. Unfortunately for the plaintiffs, it is quite likely that their suit will be dismissed as neither stepchild was financially dependent on Howe.
While I sympathize with William Howe and Dana Redmond as such a loss must be devastating, I also feel for them for dealing with such a clueless attorney as the one they retained to file this suit. I am not now, nor have I ever been, licensed to practice in California, but it took me less than five minutes to determine that Howe/Redmond lacked standing to sue Jenner for wrongful death. Why an attorney licensed to practice in California couldn’t do the same is utterly beyond me.
The only thing I can imagine is that the attorney saw grieving clients and an ultra-high-profile defendant and was blinded by potential dollar signs. This angers me because not only are Howe’s stepchildren mourning her loss, but this attorney has given them false hope of striking it rich by making Jenner pay.
Should Jenner pay for the accident? If it was determined that it was Jenner’s fault, yes. I’m sure there are medical expenses for Kimberly Howe and the five injured passengers. If Jenner is not at fault though, then he should not have to pay simply because he’s rich. That’s not the way justice works. No details are available as to Jenner’s fault or whether the five passengers have sued for their injuries.
Again, I’m deeply sorry for Kimberly Howe’s stepchildren and wish them well as they grieve. However, I have to say that I hope the suit is dismissed and further, I hope that Howe/Redmond’s attorney is sanctioned for filing it in the first place.
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