The death of a young woman from Mississippi, who was allegedly struck by a patrol car, has led to a $500,000 settlement for her family.

The settlement marks the conclusion of the family’s personal injury lawsuit against the Mississippi Highway Patrol, alleging the trooper was at fault for the highway patrol accident that caused the death of their loved one.

According to the personal injury lawsuit, a Mississippi Highway Patrol member had been driving too fast on a dark highway without flashing his blue lights and allegedly caused the highway patrol accident. The highway patrol accident reportedly took place at 1:30 a.m. on May 7, 2017, ending in the death of recent Mississippi State University graduate and track athlete Kaelin Kersh.

The personal injury lawsuit states Kersh was a passenger in the front seat of a Toyota Corolla, which was struck by the Mississippi Highway Patrol Car on Highway 182 close to Starkville. The driver of the Toyota Corolla and another passenger were hospitalized for their injuries.

Overview of Personal Injury Lawsuit

This personal injury lawsuit was filed by Kersh’s family members and two women, who were also in the car when the patrol car hit them. The personal injury lawsuit alleges trooper Kyle Lee had been speeding, which ultimately contributed to the circumstances surrounding the highway patrol accident.

While the exact speed of the state trooper car has been disputed, it has been reported that Lee had been driving at approximately 68 mph when the speed limit was 45 mph. However the dash cam footage from the patrol car, allegedly shows Lee driving the car at 100 mph at the time of the highway patrol accident.

The personal injury lawsuit states that Lee had left soon after the highway patrol accident happened, to report the incident with his superiors. Circuit Judge Lee Coleman ordered the Mississippi Highway Patrol to pay $500,00 in a court account, which was paid on June 06, 2018 and will later be divided between the plaintiffs.

By agreeing to the $500,000 settlement, the wrongful death and personal injury allegations will be resolved. In addition to the settlement Kersh’s death had spurred Mississippi legislators to pass House Bill 1202, also called the Kaelin Kersh Act and which will become effective on July 1, 2018.

This bill required emergency first responders to turning on flashing lights when going over 30 mph faster than the designated speed limit. The Mississippi Highway Patrol had faced a number of different personal injury damages for Kersh’s death as well as the injuries of the other passengers and was found to be at fault for the highway patrol accident.

Other people who may have suffered injuries that could qualify for legal action, should consider filing a personal injury claim against the entity or individual in question. Potential claimants can seek a multitude of damages including loss of wages, loss of consortium, wrongful death, mental anguish, and physical injuries.

People considering this route should file and save all documentation related to their injuries, to help prove that the defendant’s actions or negligent inaction had directly contributed to the damages suffered.