Eric had finally met the love of his life, Sam. They hit it off, fell in love, got engaged, and then, one beautiful day, they got married. The wedding took place on a beach with perfect weather. Everything went smoothly, and their friends and family had a great time celebrating their love.
At the end of the night, Eric and Sam climbed into a street-legal golf cart, driven by Eric’s brother-in-law, to head back to their room. As they made their way up the road, a speeding car came out of nowhere and slammed into the back of the cart. The impact sent the cart flipping multiple times, leaving it completely destroyed. Eric, Sam, and the brother-in-law suffered severe injuries.
Paramedics arrived quickly, rushing Eric and his brother-in-law to the hospital. Tragically, Sam did not survive the crash.
The driver of the speeding car was a woman who had been drinking. Authorities arrested her on the spot and charged her with DUI. Meanwhile, Eric, suffering from a brain injury and multiple broken bones, had to come to terms with the devastating loss of his wife on the very day they had vowed to spend their lives together.
After recovering, Eric decided to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the drunk driver and the bars that had served her alcohol that night. However, this is where things took an unexpected turn. Sam’s mother, who had been grieving her daughter’s loss, became upset that Eric was handling the lawsuit without her. Wanting to include her in the process, Eric made a formal offer: if he won any money from the lawsuit, he would give her 50% of the settlement. However, Sam’s mother was not satisfied with this agreement. She claimed that the terms were vague and that the way it was written left too much uncertainty.
Despite her objections, Eric moved forward with the lawsuit. Months after the accident, he finally reached a settlement with the bars and the insurance company. While the exact amount was not disclosed, it was believed to be in the millions. According to South Carolina law, when someone dies, their spouse automatically controls their estate. This meant that Eric had legal authority over the settlement money.
On the day they were supposed to finalize the settlement, Sam’s mother filed a motion to intervene. She challenged the legitimacy of Eric and Sam’s marriage, despite there being countless photos and documentation proving otherwise. Allegedly, she wanted Eric removed as the representative of Sam’s estate, likely so she could take control of the settlement funds herself.
Meanwhile, the drunk driver remains in jail, awaiting trial. What started as a heartbreaking accident has now spiraled into a legal battle over money, adding even more tragedy to an already devastating situation. South Carolina certainly has its fair share of dramatic legal cases, and this one is no exception.
