Every day, millions of people travel to and from work on Massachusetts highways. Sadly, there are about 300 fatal motor vehicle accidents each year just in Massachusetts alone. Nationwide, there are an estimated 32,000 deaths annually. These accidents are caused by a number of factors, ranging from driver distraction, to road rage, to environmental factors like snow and ice. No matter the cause, the results can be devastating.
Amy Harris was a special education teacher at the Vivian E. Hussey School in Berwick, Maine and the breadwinner of her family. On April 10, 2013, she was driving along Route 4 in Berwick, Maine with her two young children in the backseat. Suddenly, another vehicle crossed the centerline, striking Harris’s vehicle head-on. The second car was driven by 17-year-old Cameron Clair. Amy Harris was killed in the tragic car accident, and both of her children were injured.
The family of Amy Harris filed a lawsuit this past month against Cameron Clair and his parents. The family’s lawyer, Daniel Kagan, explained the strategic choice to file the lawsuit just before the two-year statute of limitations expired: he wanted to give the family time to cope, and he needed time to fully appreciate just how much the death will impact the family financially. Because Amy Harris was the breadwinner of the family, her death will have not only lifelong emotional consequences for her children, but also lifelong financial consequences. Waiting nearly two years allowed the legal team to gather necessary evidence in the event that the case reaches trial.
According to Sea Coast Online, there is a chance Cameron Clair’s family will prefer to settle the lawsuit out of court. The teenager had no intention of harming anyone, but nonetheless made a mistake that cost Amy Harris her life.
