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Taser Manufacturer Sued For Failure to Warn of Lethal Potential

This case involved a 17-year old boy who used to work at a store called the Food Lion. Police were called to the store one day when the store’s manager indicated he’d asked the boy to leave, but the boy refused. Instead, the boy began pushing over displays; he also threw an umbrella.

According to the surveillance tape, after pushing over displays, the boy advanced toward the manager and another employee and raised an arm pointing at the the manager. At that point, a police officer came in the door. As the officer stepped in the door, the boy took a step towards him and the officer fired a Taser, striking the boy in the chest; the boy died as the result of cardiac arrest from the shock of the taser.

An autopsy indicated that the teen’s heart was pumping so irregularly and rapidly due to the confrontation and the Taser shot, it quit pumping blood properly. The teen’s family filed a personal injury wrongful death lawsuit based on the premise that Taser International did not warn users that shots near the chest could be fatal.

An investigation revealed that the officer violated the department’s policy by depressing the trigger for 37 seconds. He was also fined and required to take extra training. The family did eventually receive a settlement from the city, but the city did not admit any wrongdoing. The $675,000 settlement was considered to be the largest police related claim to hit the city in 10 years.

While the family was waiting for justice to be done in this case, they may have been able to take advantage of legal finance services in the form of a lawsuit cash advance. They would have been able to apply for pre-settlement funding from a litigation funding company either by calling them or applying for funds online.

There are no upfront payments, no monthly payments to make, and applying for a “lawsuit loan” is free. Lawsuit funding allows the family of a deceased victim handle the expense of a funeral and burial and allows them to pay other important debts, such as their mortgage or car payments while they are engaged in the grieving process. Families in this unfortunate circumstance are able to wait out the long legal process for a fair settlement or court verdict instead of being forced by financial circumstance to take any offer than came along.

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