Pelham Couple's Deadly Accident Lawsuit

The State of Connecticut can be sued in connection with a deadly accident that killed a Pelham couple, according to the Hartford Courant. Joseph Stavola and his wife, Jeanne, were killed when a 70-foot tree fell on their vehicle back in 2007. The couple was driving on the Merritt Parkway in Westport when the accident happened. The couple's children, who were riding in the back seat of the car, survived.

The decision that the State of Connecticut can be sued was made by Connecticut State Claims Commissioner Paul Vance. Connecticut lawyer David Hill says he will now file a multimillion-dollar lawsuit on behalf of the Stavola's children and their estate.

When the crash happened, the Stavola's children, James and William, were seven and nine-years-old. They only sustained cuts and bruises in the accident.

"[T]he lives of four people, and the future of a beautiful family, were shattered forever. … Sadly, the tragedy didn't just involve the parents, it also involved their children who were sitting in the back seat and watched as their parents were battered beyond recognition," Hill wrote in a 2010 memorandum for the claims commissioner, as quoted by the Courant.

Now that the legal obstacles have been cleared Hill says he will file the lawsuit as soon as possible.