In March of 2017, the stars of the show “Storm Wranglers” were speeding down a highway looking for signs of a tornado when they ran a stop sign and crashed into a jeep driven by a 25-year-old storm spotter. All three were killed upon impact. California residents should know that the mother of the 25-year-old has filed a wrongful death suit against the show’s network, the Weather Channel.
The lawsuit claims that the storm-chasing duo of “Storm Wranglers” had long been known for reckless driving. Its videos, which are frequently live streamed on the Weather Channel’s Facebook page, feature the duo speeding, ignoring stop signs and traffic lights, driving off-road and in ditches, driving on private property, traveling on the wrong side of the street and violating other traffic laws.
According to the lawsuit, in-studio representatives at the Weather Channel would never discourage this behavior but rather encourage it for the sake of capturing more exciting footage. This, in turn, was all for the sake of selling advertising and creating a hit show.
The decedent, a certified storm spotter for the National Weather Service, was driving away from the tornado that the duo was chasing. His mother is suing for $125 million in damages. The Weather Channel has declined to comment on the pending litigation.
In cases of wrongful death, families or other eligible dependents of a victim may be able to sue for various financial losses. This can include funeral and burial expenses, loss of support or consortium and even the cost of any medical treatments that a victim received before dying. Those who intend to file a suit may want a lawyer and their team of investigators and other third parties to assist with the process.