Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed in Radio Contest Fatality
What may surprise people is what is now alleged in the lawsuit-that a nurse called into the show to warn DJs. The nurse apparently let radio station employees know that asking contestants to drink as much as two gallons of water without using the bathroom could prove fatal.
According to the filing, DJs actually acknowledged to the call-in listener that they knew they were risking the lives of their contestants, but showed no concern for them-only for liability.
Allegedly, when the nurse warned about the dangers of what they were doing, disc jockeys replied, "Yeah, we're aware of that . . . [but] they signed releases, so we're not responsible. We're OK."
By now, the nation knows what happened. Jennifer Lea Strange had been trying to win a Nintendo Wii Game Station for her three children, by drinking and holding more water than other contestants in the on-air contest. Strange drank and drank until her stomach was so swollen that she looked pregnant.
At some point during the contest, Strange began complaining of a headache. The radio hosts of KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" taunted Strange and told her she'd be disqualified if she vomited. In Strange's own words, in a tape of the show, she said, "They keep telling me that it's the water. That it will tell my head to hurt and then it will make me puke."
But the end result was far more severe. A few hours after winning second-place in the "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest, Ms. Strange was found dead, in her own home, by her mother.
The family claims in their lawsuit that the radio station should have taken the symptoms displayed by their 18 contestants more seriously, and showed due diligence in arranging for medical attention.
The lawsuit also alleges that Ms. Strange merely signed a release for photos, but did not sign any liability waiver. If that's the case, the disc jockeys, the radio station, and its parent company may be in for a rude awakening. In addition to the lawsuit, the Federal Communications Commission can fine the station and revoke its broadcast license.
Published by Stephanie Dray
Stephanie Dray is an author of historical fiction. Her debut novel, LILY OF THE NILE, will hit bookstore shelves in January 2011. She's a storyteller, a game designer, and a cat trainer. In a previous life,... View profile
Radio Station Guide to Northeast PennsylvaniaWhen it comes to radio in Northeast Pennsylvania, there truly is something for everyone. From news-talk and classical to mainstream hits and the college underground, variety is...- The Best Radio Stations in San DiegoDo you live or are visiting the San Diego area and are trying to find some good radio stations to listen to? Well here are some great radio stations to listen too.
- A Prairie Home Companion: Radio Show-turned-film Finds Altman at His BestThe film adaptation of writer Garrison Keillor's radio show "A Prairie Home Companion" is a delight, with fun writing and a great cast.
Still on Texas Death Row, Despite Confession from Co-DefendantAnother inmate has confessed to the crime of murder, yet an innocent man awaits execution on Texas Death Row- Death's RegretIn response to the devastation experienced by those affected by Hurrican Katrina Death's Regret seeks to illuminate the darkness experienced when New Orleans temporarily lost much of its humanity.
- Elements of a Wrongful Death Lawsuit
- Second Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed Against Brandy
- Federal Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Man Who Had Been Jailed for Sharing His Faith P...
- Wrongful Death Lawsuits Filed on Victim's Behalf
- The Evolution and Slow Demise of Modern Radio
- High Definition Radio, is HD Radio Really Better Than Satellite Radio?
- Guide to the Most Popular Radio Stations in Binghamton, New York
12 Comments
Post a CommentStephanie, I enjoy reading your articles and like your style. I am *not* trying to get personal here. I'm simply pointing out that you were prefacing every other statement with "alleged" et. al EXCEPT for paragraphs 5&6, which started with "By now the nation knows what happened" and on to the taunting part-then right back to "alleged" in the ensuing paragraphs. A responsible editor would flag it. It's something to be careful about when reporting news--not a personal attack. As for my previous comments-a lot of people take the written word as truth. That's ALL I'm sayin'!
I said at least five times in the article that the information was coming from what was alleged in the lawsuit. I regret that I did not append it to every allegation. This was an article about the lawsuit. I take no position on the facts of the matter.
"At some point during the contest, Strange began complaining of a headache. The radio hosts of KDND-FM's "Morning Rave" taunted Strange and told her she'd be disqualified if she vomited." That was not "alleged". That was stated in the piece. And ditto your advice, right back at you, Jack.
Even if she did sign a liability waiver, it'd probably be tossed. At a minimum, this was criminal negligence.
What Stephanie states in this article is information contained IN THE LAWSUIT. She doesn't state it as fact, e.g. "...what is now ALLEGED in the lawsuit-that a nurse called into the show to warn DJs." Before commenting, maybe you should read the article a bit more carefully.
It took me all of 10 minutes to find the actual transcript of that stunt as opposed to rumor and hearsay on the internet. Stephanie, this was irresponsible reporting. Look how many people just took your word for it. A reporter MUST check her facts.
Listen, I'm not offering any judgement on this one way or the other. It was a tragedy, yes. But rumors are spreading like wildfire and now some of them are being reported as facts. 1) a woman caller did call in. She was not identified as a nurse. If she was a nurse, she didn't mention it. 2)The audio transcript of that contest reveals that when Ms. Strange was brought in to the studio after the contest, they asked her if she was okay or felt like she wanted to lie down. She said she could "probably drink more if you guys could pick me up. Do you want me to?" (The answer was "No") There was no "taunting" at that point. Come on, folks. This was a dumb stunt gone awry, not a premeditated torture scenario with deejays coldly laughing at a suffering contestant as rumors suggest. Audio transcripts from KDND show from Larry King Live transcript aired January 17, 2007 - 21:00 ET.
There should be criminal charges.
It makes me wonder if the radio station consulted their lawyers before setting up this stupid contest.
What a senseless loss of life. I hope the station does get sued, as much for the family's loss as well as to wake up other media & similar companies.