Lawsuit Settled in Death of Four Year Old
In 2006, four year old Maya Hirsch was struck and killed by a car driven by Michael Roth, who was 57. Maya, with her big eyes and sweet smile, her mother, and older brother were leaving the Lincoln Park Zoo when Roth who was driving a black Lexus with a license plate reading “OCEAN 21” struck all three. Roth, however, continued driving after he hit the family dragging Maya under the car. Maya’s brother and mother were slightly injured. Roth fled the scene, but his vanity plates led police directly to him. He was arrested, and in 2007, was convicted for Maya’s death. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison and died while he was serving his sentence. Maya’s parents sued Roth’s estate and the City of Chicago alleging that the City did not have appropriate safety signals and traffic controls in place. On the eve of the trial scheduled for April 30, 2012, the City and Maya’s family agreed to a settlement. According to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago residents had been complaining about the intersection where the accident happened for years prior. The City did not take any action to make the intersection safer until after the accident occurred. Despite the settlement, Maya’s family will feel the loss of their beloved child every minute of every day. To honor her, Maya’s family is attempting to make the streets safer to prevent other families from being in the same situation. They have started a non-profit organization that is committed to increasing pedestrian safety. These situations are extremely delicate and emotional. If a loved one has suffered personal injury as a result of negligence, contact a top New Braunfels, Texas personal injury and wrongful death attorney today.
