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A father is suing upstate municipalities just north of West Point for $40 million per child for three children killed when their mother drove into the Hudson River on April 12.
The father, Jean Pierre, 26, had an argument with his estranged girlfriend, LaShanda Armstrong, 25, before she drove her minivan into the river. Armstrong took her own life and the lives of three children: Landen, 5, Lance, 2, and Laianna, 11 months. 10-year-old LaShaun survived by escaping through the back window and swimming to safety. He now lives with relatives.
Pierre is suing the town of Newburgh and Orange County for creating dangerous waterfront conditions, which allowed Armstrong to run her car into the river. The lawsuit claims that the waterfront boat ramp permitted a dangerous condition because protective barriers and prohibitive signs were not set up where they could have stopped Armstrong. Furthermore, the Department of Child Protective Service had visited Armstrong this February, but did not follow up or speak to the children. Such actions also may have prevented the tragedy.
The lawsuit blames the municipalities' negligence for, "wrongful death, pain and suffering, pre-death conscious pain and suffering, considerable pain as well as … psychological distress, pain and suffering." Orange County is reportedly reviewing the claim.
As a practicing medical malpractice, wrongful death, and personal injury attorney in New York, I deal with tragic cases like this every day. If you would like more information about how negligence and accident cases work in the state of New York, I encourage you to explore my educational personal injury website. If you have legal questions, I urge you to pick up the phone and call me at 516-487-8207 or by e-mail at lawmed10@yahoo.com to answer your questions. That's what I do every day. I welcome your call.
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