Robert Sollman Death Settled, But Police Not Admitting Guilt
One of the most common things that come out of wrongful death settlements is the claim that the party paying the settlement isn't admitting guilt. It's an official position that is often used by large companies when they settle lawsuits because they feel the cost of fighting such lawsuits isn't worth the time or money it costs.
When it's a police department, though, and you see that they've gone through major changes, it's hard to believe that they're not admitting guilt in some fashion. Such is the case in Easton, PA, where city officials worked out a $5 million award to the estate of Jesse Sollman, who was shot and killed accidentally while working at the police station.
It's hard to get any real details on what actually happened, as the police didn't divulge that part, and the settlement comes with a confidentiality agreement wrapped around it, which means neither party can talk about what happened, or the details of the settlement. However, the police department has owned up to making some significant changes. One of those changes was getting the department accredited in some fashion, which means they had to fulfill certain requirements to earn it. Another was having a number of senior police officers voluntarily retire, which is somewhat interesting because it leads us to assume the department wasn't up to date on newer regulations on gun safety, or other activities that are often rumored for older police officers used to a different style of justice than what's usually allowed today.
In any case, there's a settlement, and a pretty quick turnaround time for having to pay on the claim. The city paid an immediate $100,000, and has three weeks to pay $3 million of the claim, which means they're presently scrambling around trying to figure out how to come up with the money. It seems they would have thought about that before coming to the agreement. Once that's paid, they have a year to pay the rest of the claim. They get to end any compensation payments they've been making since the plaintiff's death, Jesse Sollman, and any health insurance benefits, but still have to pay the family benefits from his pension on a regular basis.
They may claim no admission of guilt, but the facts seem to state otherwise.
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LawyerSection.com’s Wrongful Death Lawyers Section, where you can locate legal services to help aid you during your time of grieving. When seeking a wrongful death attorney, it is important to work with a law firm that takes both your emotional and financial needs into consideration. To ensure that you are compensated for all economic losses incurred from your loved one’s untimely death, speak with more than one legal adviser, ask about their prior wrongful death cases, and ask for references from previous clientele.
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