Well. When this story first broke, I took the unpopular position that the road along Folly Beach is really, black dark at night. It was not smart running a golf cart down that road at night at lets say a peak of 22 mph. Any car going 40 or more would be on it in seconds. Response time would be nil. That said, without a will, in SC, the husband, if even for only hours, would be in line to inherent his wife’s property. The mother-in-law is way off base here.
I can only speak to CA, under which your analysis is correct. Mom doesn’t have a case and is stupid not to take the money.
I agree that the golf cart idea was very bad. In CA we have comparative negligence, and the jury would be called upon to assign percentages of fault. For example, if the recovery was $1 million and they determined the decedent 50% at fault, then the recovery is $500k. Given the drunk driving, though, I doubt there’s be a higher degree of fault assigned to the decedent than, perhaps 10%.. But the question is whether the defendant has any money. I’d easily value this case at $5-10
Million, but not worth the paper it’s printed on if there’s no money
Eh. She found a lawyer and apparently has enough money to pay him. Lawyers will take loser cases as long as the suckers will pay.
I knew people who got married, but never filed the paperwork.