The bodies of Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez and two others, Eduardo Rivero and Emilio Jesus Macias, were found September of last year after a boating accident resulted in the death of all three men. While previously thought to be an unfortunate accident, results from a six-month investigation by The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) have recently revealed the true cause.
The 46-page FWC investigation reported that Jose Fernandez had been piloting the craft at the time of the crash, traveling at a reckless 65.7 miles per hour. An autopsy showed that all three men had either alcohol or cocaine in their systems. Fernandez’s blood alcohol level was over the legal limit, at 0.147 percent. Rivero, who also had cocaine in his system, had a blood alcohol level of .065 percent and Macias, who did not test positive for cocaine, had a blood alcohol level of .044 percent. The final report concluded that Fernandez had violated a number of boating laws, including Boating Under the Influence Manslaughter, Vessel Homicide and Reckless or Careless Operation of a Vessel.
Filing for Personal Injury
Before the results of the FWC investigation, Macias’s and Rivero’s families had raised upwards of $40,000 each to cover funeral costs and other expenses. This past February, with the help of attorney Christopher Royer, both families filed negligence and personal injury lawsuits against Fernandez’s estate seeking a total of $4 million. In late January, Fernandez’s mother filed a petition to administer his estate, valued at an estimated $2 million to $3 million with an additional $1.05 million accidental death insurance payment and another $450,000 life insurance payment expected to be made.
The Fernandez family attorney said that a settlement was highly unlikely, mainly due to the fact that Jose’s girlfriend was due to give birth; Fernandez announced days before his death that his girlfriend was pregnant with his daughter.
Injury Lawyers in Maine
If you or a loved one have suffered because of another’s negligence, contact Hardy Wolf & Downing for more information or confidential assistance today. Our expert attorneys are experienced in many areas of practice, including:
- Personal Injury
- Car Accidents
- Boating Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- And More!
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-reg-jose-fernandez-personal-injury-lawsuit-20170210-story.html