Q: How can my husband be named in a lawsuit against the company he works for over and accidental death?
My husband was the plant manager with a company in Alabama. A security guard (not an employee of the same company) walked in front of a moving vehicle and was severely injured and died on route to the hospital. The deceased's daughter has filed suit. I was told that in Alabama, someone has to be charged with with this gentleman's death before seeking monetary damages. Could my husband have to serve jail time? He doesn't talk about it much, but he did mention that if he loses, he would be considered a felon. His company is paying for all his legal bills and that is not an issue. My worry is the felony that will be on his record and if he will have to serve jail time. Is this possible? What rights do I have as his spouse? This would devastate my family.
A: stop fretting! it sounds like the company and your husband, as its employee/agent, are being sued in civil court for money damages. the company and or its insurance compnay will be responsible for any monetary damages. it doesn't even remotely sound like a crimianl case which is a different animal all together and brought by a prosecutor. your husband will not go to jail and will not be a felon because of a civil suit. as his spouse, simply be supportive as he is probably concerned over being named as a party. the lawyers doing the suing probably named him in the case to avoid the case being removed to federal court - simply a strategic move. good luck, god bless and roll tide!
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
