South Carolina bride killed on her wedding night DUI settlement

A South Carolina judge signed off on a $1.3 million settlement in the case of a bride who was killed, allegedly by a drunken driver, just hours after getting married, according to media reports.  Jamie Lee Komoroski, 26, allegedly barreled her rental car into a golf cart carrying the victim, Samantha Miller, 34, and her new spouse Aric Hutchinson near Charleston, South Carolina, on April 28, 2023.

Miller was killed in the collision and Hutchinson was badly injured.  Two others riding in the cart with Miller and Hutchinson were also injured in the tragic crash.  Proceeds from the settlement will go to Miller's estate and the other injured parties.

The bars that served Komoroski prior to the crash and the rental car company she used will be on the hook for the seven-figure award.  Hutchinson and his lawyer Danny Dalton were in court Tuesday to sign off on the settlement, which will net the parties $863,000 after fees.

Dalton said the amount was less than anticipated due to an ongoing estate dispute between Hutchinson and the slain bride's mother, Lisa Miller, who has challenged whether the pair were legally married. 

Conclusion

This is a tragic situation that unfortunately is not meeting an unusual ending.  When legal situations hit many times they pull people together or apart.  Clearly in this situation it is ripping this family apart.  Money, hatred, jealousy, fame are all strong drivers that create scenarios that can destroy lives, careers, and families for no logical reason beyond the inability to feel empathy/sympathy for another.  When a husband loses their wife (or wife loses their husband) the family is created to support each other through these tough times and actually be there to lift the other person up - not tear them down.

As an attorney it illustrates the importance of recognizing and addressing the different forms of law involved in many cases.  Very few cases are straightforward in one type of law.  In this case we have:

Civil Law - where one party sues another party.  Even in this one we have sub-civil law types:

          DUI (Driver)
          Insurance
          Motor Vehicle Collision
          Corporate (Rental car company)
          Dram Shop (Bars)
          Wrongful Death (Wrongful Death Settlement Hearing)
          Personal Injury (torts)

Criminal Law

          Felony Charges (DUI, Reckless Homicide)
          Traffic Violations

Probate

           Probating an Estate
           Determining the Personal Representative
           Determining the proper distribution to heirs
           Guardianship?
           Conservatorship?

Family

           Determining if the parties were married/spouses under the Law
            (ceremony, but marriage certificate not signed? recorded?)
 
This is the reason Winslow Law is designed different to serve our clients.  Instead of one attorney trying to do everything or one firm only doing one thing, Winslow Law is a firm that contains 8 attorneys and 4 locations, that allows each attorney to focus on their passion in the law to best benefit our client:

Personal Injury and Malpractice
Estate Planning and Probate (litigation)
Family Law
Criminal Law
HOA and Property Law
Worker's Compensation
Maritime Law
Business Formation and Litigation

If you have a legal need come to Winslow Law and be treated legally holistically, so that we can fully understand your needs and address them as a whole.  To look at the law in a singular lense, ignores the true dynamics the law creates.  Be it a consultation or litigation, Winslow Law is here to serve at 843-357-9301.

May God Bless You, Your Business, and the United States of America, 

Tom Winslow