Taylor Meyer was 17 years old when she drowned in a Massachusetts swamp after a night of binge drinking beer and vodka shots with her friends, beginning in the basement of one of her friend's home. When her body was found Oct. 20, 2008 she had a blood alcohol level of .13.Can her teenage friends be held accountable for her death? Taylor's mother is going to find out; she filed a lawsuit against those who provided her with alcohol.
According to the lawsuit filed by Kathy Jean Meyer, Taylor's mother, the night of drinking began at the Wrentham home of Dianne Stark in her basement. The group then when to the Norfolk home of Matthew Dusseault.
Later, the group joined dozens of other young people at an abandoned airport in Norfolk where they lit a bonfire and continued drinking.
Body Found Three Days Later
According to the court papers, Around 11 p.m. Taylor, a popular senior at King Philip Regional High School, wandered off from the group after telling friends she was leaving and would call for a ride home. She was found drowned three days later in the swamp, 100 yards from the scene of the bonfire.
The defendants in the wrongful death and negligence lawsuit are Dianne Stark, Sean Flynn, Brian Zuzick, Paige Zuzick, Rachel Stark, Matthew Dusseault, and Christopher Moran.
"Unlike Mrs. Stark, Taylor Meyer's parents will not have the opportunity to watch their daughter blossom. Unlike the remaining defendants, this high school student will not attend college, will not marry and raise children, and will not live to an old age," the lawsuit said. "The Meyer family's loss is forever."
What do you think? Can underage drinkers be legally liable for a peer's death?
1. Yes, if they provided her with alcohol.
2. No, she made her own choices.
3. Not sure.
News Source:
Mother Sues Over Daughter's Drinking Party Death
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