Compania Dominicana de Aviacion v. Knapp
Florida District Court of Appeal
251 So. 2d 18 (1971)
A plane owned by Compania Dominicana de Aviacion (defendant) crashed into an auto-body shop, killing 15-year-old Clifford Knapp while his mother was on the phone with him and his father, Charles Knapp (plaintiff), witnessed the crash from outside; Charles sued for wrongful death, and extensive testimony from a psychiatrist, the family doctor, and friends documented the family's severe anguish, including the mother's resulting depression. The jury awarded Charles $1,800,000 for loss of services and pain and suffering, the trial judge approved the award, and the Company appealed the amount as excessive.
Whether, in a wrongful-death action, a plaintiff may recover for the decedent's loss of services and for the pain and suffering experienced as a result of the death.