STRAIGHT TALK LAW BLOG: SEDONA WRONGFUL DEATH ISSUES | Seattle Personal Injury Lawyer

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As I’m a personal injury lawyer based in Seattle, Washington, I usually blog about cases I find to be of interest that happen in our local area. But a recent tragedy that happened in Sedona, Arizona raises a number of issues in terms of both wrongful death and personal injury (for more details about the incident, you can refer to my recent article, “Wrongful Death in Sedona?” )

Basically, a weekend retreat run by a self-help guru, James Arthur Ray, resulted in three deaths and 18 people ending up in the hospital after a crowded session in a Native American sweat lodge.

There were around 60 people in the sweat lodge, which was covered in canvas and continually being heated with the addition of fresh rocks that had been in a nearby fire pit.

According to some experts, there should only be 12 people at a time in a sweat lodge. Also there should have been more ventilation and a natural cloth covering that would have allowed more natural air circulation.

The issue for any personal injury attorney is who might be at fault. The local authorities seem to be focusing their attention on how James Ray ran the expensive retreat, which cost most participants close to ten grand apiece. Participants were supposedly not told they had to remain in the sweat lodge, even though overpowering heat and a lack of oxygen may have raised the discomfort level to an extreme – however, they were “strongly encouraged” to stay.

The sweat lodge also was located at a Sedona resort – Angel Valley Retreat Center. Does the resort management hold any responsibility for the events? Was anything posted about the maximum amount of people that can use the structure at one time?

The police are actively investigating the possibility of criminal negligence in this tragedy. Ray has posted an apology for the incident on his website, but has limited his comments pending the investigation. It will be interesting to see, as this case progresses, if it does result in a number of personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits.

As over a third of the participants in the session were harmed in some way, it certainly seems likely that negligence on someone’s part was involved. I would strongly advise the families of the survivors as well as those who were injured to seek the advice of a good personal injury lawyer.

This blog is provided by www.straighttalklaw.com, where you can order free books on Washington auto accidents, auto insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by Jason Epstein and his law practice Premiere Law Group in Seattle, Washington.