Long Island Teen Sues Grandfather Over Wrongful Death Settlement

A teenager from Long Island recently filed a lawsuit against her grandfather, alleging that he stole millions of dollars that she inherited from her late father in wrongful death compensation. Gary Eriksen, the father of the deceased and paternal grandfather of the child filing the suit, is accused of cutting his granddaughter out of the wrongful death benefits awarded in the case after Scott Eriksen passed away in the custody of Suffolk County. 

The father had originally been jailed on marijuana charges and confined to a cell, where he later sustained a head injury that would lead to his death. The granddaughter’s attorneys say that Gary Eriksen pocketed the wrongful death payout and didn’t give her a dime, instead opting to squander a significant portion of the money on frivolities like luxury homes, cars and night club investments. He disappeared when the lawsuit was announced but was eventually tracked down and ordered to make court appearances. 

However, there are some complications involved with the case. Some relatives claim that Scott did not know that he had a child, as she was born to teenage parents and he had not been a part of her life. 

The main issue at stake in this case is going to be who had the primary right to benefit from wrongful death payouts. In most cases, immediate family members (spouses and children) have the upper hand when it comes to benefitting from wrongful death compensation. However, Eriksen’s attorneys will likely do everything they can to discredit the granddaughter as being legally able to inherit the money if her existence was truly unknown to the deceased. 

If you have a loved one who passed away due to someone else’s negligence, speak with the experienced wrongful death attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith and Tartaglia, LLP for the information and guidance you need.