When 18 year old Nikki Catsouras died in a horrific car accident on a Lake Forest toll road, her family undoubtedly suffered. Unfortunately, because a few highway patrolmen who were on the scene decided to take gorey photos of the young woman’s death and send them to friends, the photos soon made their way onto the internet. Soon Nikki’s family was being forced to relive the tragedy after they started recieving mysterious text messages and emails with photos of the young girl’s accident.
When her family sued the highway patrol for invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, the first court to hear the case dismissed it despite the fact that the judge called the officer’s behavior “utterly reprehensible.”
Fortunately, upon appeal, the family has been given their chance to hold the officers accountable for their unnecessary suffering following the accident. Many Orange County personal injury attorneys are praising the decision, as it will allow the family to help ensure that this type of tragedy never happens to anyone else.
To read more about the story, see the article in the L.A. Times. Image via moriza [Flickr].