Wrongful Death Lawsuits Filed Against Janet Bewley, Jodi Munson and Three Insurance Companies
During the early morning hours of December 17, 2006, two young women were killed in a car accident in Illinois. According to the father of the deceased, Alyssa Ortman, all three parties involved in the crash were negligent. He has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Bewley, Munson and three insurance companies.
Alyssa Ortman died in the crash
Earlier this month, the father of a 5-year-old girl killed in a July car crash filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Democratic State Senate Minority Leader Janet Bewley. The lawsuit names Bewley and three insurance companies as defendants, accusing Bewley of negligence, failure to maintain proper lookout and failure to maintain control of her vehicle.
According to a crash investigation report from the Ashland Police Department, Bewley was talking on a hand-free cell phone when the crash occurred. Bewley’s attorneys declined to comment on the report.
State Patrol investigators are reconstructing the crash scene. The crash occurred near the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 2. Bewley was pulling out of a public beach entrance and pulling into the path of Ortman’s car.
According to a crash data retrieval report, the Honda Civic driven by Ortman was traveling at 100 MPH at the time of the crash. The speed limit is 45 miles per hour. Bewley was not seriously injured, according to the report.
State Patrol investigators found that Ortman’s car had a vape pen that was loaded with Delta-8-THC, a psychoactive substance related to marijuana. While the state police investigation into the crash is ongoing, foul play is not suspected in this case.
The driver of another vehicle, Jodi Munson, was not seriously injured in the crash. She was also provided liability insurance by Progressive Universal Insurance Company.
Alyssa Ortman’s father accuses all three parties of negligence
Exactly one week after a fatal car crash, the father of the 5-year-old girl killed in the crash has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a pair of drivers. He claims the car crash was the result of negligence, and wants a 12-person jury trial.
The lawsuit was filed in Ashland County Circuit Court. It names three insurance companies as defendants, and claims the accident is the result of negligence on the part of the driver in question, and the driver of the other car.
The adage about driving while talking on a cell phone is true, but it is also true that Bewley was on the phone at the time of the crash. She was reportedly on her way to an interview about the upcoming elections.
According to the Ashland Police Department’s crash report, Bewley was distracted by her hands-free phone at the time of the crash. She also had cataract eye surgery the day before. The crash occurred just outside the public beach entrance in Ashland.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said it may take several weeks to complete an accident reconstruction report and send it to the Ashland District Attorney David Meaney’s office. Meaney said the decision on whether to prosecute will depend on the thorough review of the investigation report.
Khalessi Fink’s father files wrongful death lawsuit against Bewley, Munson and three insurance companies
Earlier this year, a 5-year-old girl named Khaleesi Fink and her mother died in a multi-car crash on US Highway 2 in Ashland, Wisconsin. Her father, former Marine and Clearfield, Pennsylvania resident Brandon Fink, is suing Sen. Janet Bewley, Washburn resident Jodi Munson and three insurance companies. He alleges negligence on the part of all three.
According to the police report, Bewley was on a hands-free cell phone at the time of the crash. The report also states that Bewley was in the middle of a phone interview with a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter. This is the first time a public figure has been reported as having had a hands-free cell phone at the scene of a car crash.
As far as the lawsuit goes, the legal team for Fink claims that Bewley was “distracted by her cell phone at the time of the crash.” The suit is based on a 67-minute audio interview with Bewley, which includes her stating that she was “fine when I was asked.”
In the lawsuit, Fink claims that Bewley was the “most negligent of the three drivers involved in the crash.” He is seeking more than $10,000 in damages.
While the legal team is waiting for the state of Wisconsin to complete the investigation, the Ashland Police Department has already referred its findings to the district attorney. According to police, Bewley was driving a car which was on the verge of passing another car.