Couple Sues LA Officer Who Crashed into Their Vehicle Resulting in Their Unborn Baby’s Death

Imagine you were an expecting parent and had just attended a doctor’s visit for a checkup on your unborn baby. Everything comes back positive and the checkup is a success. But later on in the day, you find yourself traveling with your partner when the unexpected car crash occurs. As a result, your unborn baby is killed. While this tragedy may seem like something you just cannot imagine happening, it did recently, and these are now the circumstances a Louisiana family is faced with.

 

Below are the details that describe the accident and what this distraught and heartbroken family is now doing to ensure justice is served for their unborn baby.

 

It was March 7, 2018, when Andrew Smith and his wife Mallory Smith were sitting at a red light in their 2017 Chevrolet Silverado waiting to turn onto Nelson Road in Lake Charles, LA [Source: KPLC]. At that time, Mallory Smith was approximately four and a half months pregnant with the couple’s daughter whom they had already named Ella Rae Smith. The two had visited their doctor earlier that day to get “a good clean checkup” just before the accident transpired.

While the roadway appeared to be clear for Mr. Smith to turn, he proceeded to go and that is when the couple’s vehicle collided with Lake Charles police officer, Bret Dommert, who was heading in the opposite direction but was traveling in the turning lane. Dommert had been responding to a school lockdown at Barbe High School. After the collision, the couple was transported to Christus Lake Area Hospital. After being examined, doctors informed the expecting parents that Mrs. Smith had suffered from a placental rupture and predicted that the unborn child would likely die in utero.

During their time at the hospital, another officer showed up and proceeded to arrest Mrs. Smith’s father, who was also distraught. He was taken into police custody and was later released. But, as you can imagine, that also created “additional trauma” for the couple. Although the Smith’s had been informed that their unborn daughter wasn’t going to make it, that became a reality for the two the following day. Their unborn child had died in the womb.

 

The Couple Files Suit Against the Officer and the City of Lake Charles

 

After losing their child, the couple decided to hire a Louisiana personal injury lawyer to represent them and proceeded to file suit against Dommert as well as the city of Lake Charles. The lawsuit states that Mr. Smith did not hear any lights or sirens and saw no flashing lights just before the accident occurred. The family is suing to hold those two parties responsible for the trauma they experienced, Mrs. Smith’s injuries, medical bills, and even the funeral expenses for their unborn child.

The couple also hopes that this lawsuit will help “bring about change when it comes to law enforcement responding to emergencies.” Mr. Smith said, “They lost sight of the other people, the innocent people. They’re trying to save some people and help some people but they’re also endangering other innocent people.”

 

This accident was a case in point.

 

Being involved in an accident is hard enough when it results in injury and damage, but losing a child in one is something most parents cannot fathom. If you have lost a loved one or sustained injuries yourself in an accident in LA that was caused by a negligent driver, city worker, or even a law enforcement officer in Shreveport, contact the personal injury lawyers at Campbell, House & Cummins at 318-855-0285. They can inform you on the legal process you will need to follow in order to hold that party accountable and represent you throughout the duration of your case so that you can continue to focus on recovering and getting through this difficult time.

 

You can reach Campbell, House & Cummins, LLC at:

333 Texas Street, #1300

Shreveport, LA 71101

318-855-0285