Confidential Settlement in Wrongful Death Lawsuits
The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, P.A., our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys, and Fort Lauderdale wrongful death attorneys have represented many families who have lost love ones in tragic accidents.
The Illinois man charged with a 2009 fatal hit-and-run of two British businessmen pleaded guilty Friday morning to two counts of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.
Broward Circuit Judge Barbara McCarthy immediately sentenced Ryan Levin, 36, to two years of house arrest and 10 years’ probation. She also imposed the conditions that Levin never drive again and immediately pay the amount of a confidential settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victims’ families.
Authorities contend that at about 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 13, 2009, Levin was racing his $120,000 Porsche 911 Turbo along State Road A1A in Fort Lauderdale when he lost control, careened onto the sidewalk, and hit and killed business partners Craig Elford, 39, and Kenneth Watkinson, 48. Please contact our Fort Myers wrongful death lawyers for more legal assistance. The men died at the scene, just yards from the Courtyard Marriott where they were staying.
The damaged Porsche was abandoned at the northbound ramp connecting Interstate 595 to Interstate 95.
Levin is the troubled son of the founders of Jewels by Park Lane, a Chicago-area business touted as the “world’s leading direct sales fashion jewelry company .”Illinois court documents show that as of 2007, Levin was the company’s vice president for national sales.
Elford left behind a wife and two young daughters and Watkinson left behind a wife, a young son, and two teenage daughters.
Until now, Levin had denied he was driving the Porsche at the time of the crash, pinning the blame on his friend Derek Cook, 39, of Tamarac.
Accused of dumping the damaged car for Levin, Cook in September pleaded no contest to two felony counts – accessory after the fact and aggravated fleeing and eluding. He agreed to testify against Levin in exchange for reduced charges and a probation sentence. Please contact our Florida wrongful death lawyer for your legal help.
