The parents of a Milton woman who died in a car crash in 2008 near Gillette Stadium after drinking in the parking lot during a concert have settled the wrongful death lawsuit they brought against the Kraft Group, which owns the stadium and the New England Patriots.
The settlement was reached just before jury selection was scheduled to start in Norfolk Superior Court.
Details of the settlement were not immediately disclosed.
The family of 20-year-old Debra Davis claimed that the organization, owned by Robert Kraft, should be held liable for the 2008 drunk driving crash that killed Davis and19-year-old Alexa Latteo.
Debra’s mother, MaryAnn Davis, said her family is glad the case is over. She said Debra will be remembered as a good girl who “wasn’t put in a position to make a good decision.”
Davis and the driver of the car she was in died in the crash.
Davis’ family and the family of another passenger injured in the crash claim the Kraft Group, which owns Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots, are liable because the organization allowed underage drinking to take place outside the stadium prior to the New England Country Music Festival and the family alleges the Kraft Group had a duty to prevent underage drinking outside the 2008 country music concert.
Although Davis and Latteo did not have tickets for the concert, they paid to enter the parking lot to tailgate.
Attorneys for the company said that they are not responsible because they did not supply the women with alcohol.
Davis’ father, Steven, was a high-profile figure during the James “Whitley” Bulger trial. The 20-year-old was named after her aunt, who investigators claim was killed after she tried to end her relationship with Bulger’s associate, Stephen “The Rifleman” Flemmi. Jurors in Bulger’s trial ultimately made “no finding” in Davis’ death.
Do you think the organization should be held accountable for the deaths of the two underage girls who died as a result of drunk driving? If more police officers were present, do you think it would have prevented underage drinking? Feel free to comment on this blog post. For more information, contact one of our Gacovino Lake attorneys at 1-800-246-HURT (4878).
