The parents of a Bradenton teenager killed in a motorcycle crash have initiated a wrongful death suit against her friend, on whose motorcycle she was riding, which began today at a Manatee County court. Jaclyn Bien was killed on Aug 12 2006 in a motorcycle crash while riding with her friend Ricky Lee Rowell who her parents claim, was under the influence of alcohol. The suit against him seeks $5 million to $10 million in damages, however, Bien’s parents don’t expect any financial recovery as Rowell does not have any assets. According to the Bradenton Herald, Bien’s parents stated that they just wanted the judicial decision to dignify their daughter’s life and to discourage other young people from driving under the influence of alcohol.
Rowell who is not represented by an attorney had a blood alcohol level of .031 the night of the tragedy which is illegal considering he was underage at the time. The law does not allow those under the age of 21 from having a BAC of more than 0.02.
Bien’s parents, Jeanine Gregory and Jeffrey Bien, also filed a suit against Karen Librizzi, Rober Librizzi and their daughter Lauren as they hosted the party that Jaclyn went for. They reached a settlement with the Librizzis’ insurance company.
Pic courtesy Akeg/ Eric Schmuttenmaer from flickr.com
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