Parents To Get $35M From Milton County For Son's Death

Introduction

In Milton, two parents were given $35 million after a jury determined that the city was responsible for their son's 2016 death after he veered off the road and hit a concrete planter that, in their opinion, shouldn't have been there.

It was thought that the 21-year-old, a senior at Yale University who was home for Thanksgiving, was attempting to dodge an animal. Records from the State Court of Fulton County show that he was driving under the speed limit and that neither drink nor drugs, nor the use of a cell phone, contributed to the collision. Other potential causes of the collision, such as dozing off or a tyre or vehicle technical problem, were also eliminated.

At the entrance to the Little River Farms, a wedding/event location on Batesville Road was a planter that was a huge industrial tire enclosed by concrete.

The boy's parents sued the city, alleging that by permitting the planter to be there, the city had broken its own rules. The complaint claimed that the City of Milton had violated its obligation to keep its roads safe. "The boy's death was directly caused by this dereliction of duty."

This Thursday, a jury rendered a decision in the case and ruled the city responsible for the boy's passing. In accordance with the judgment form, Milton "maintained a defect in the public roads of its municipal street system" and "maintained a nuisance dangerous to life or health."

The victim was a Yale student majoring in both economics and mechanical engineering, according to the initial lawsuit. He had a bright future ahead of him and was just months away from graduating, according to the complaint.

"By all accounts, he was a gifted student and a devoted friend... He was highly involved in numerous clubs and student organizations, and he was loved by all who knew him," the complaint said. "Considering his young life's likely course and potential, his premature demise can only be called a tragedy. It would be difficult to discover a more exceptional young man.

The victim had traveled to Atlanta on the day of the collision to meet up with pals. The lawsuit states that he made a brief detour at a store on the way home and, as he was leaving, "he sent a text message to his mother saying that he would be home soon, but, sadly, he never made it back."

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