Victims’ families file multimillion dollar lawsuits against “affluenza” teen
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After a controversial sentence by a Texas judge, the families of the victims who were injured or killed in a drunk driving crash are now suing a teen who claimed “affluenza” prevented him from knowing the consequences for his actions.
Ethan Couch, 16, was sentenced to an alcohol treatment facility and 10 years of probation after he was convicted of drunken driving, which resulted in the deaths of four people.
In June, Breanna Mitchell’s vehicle broke down on the side of a North Texas road.
Hollie and Shelby Boyles both stopped to lend a hand, along with youth pastor Brian Jennings.
As they were trying to fix the stranded vehicle, the group was hit by Couch, who was driving while intoxicated.
The sentence sparked outrage after Couch’s defense attorneys said he suffered from “affluenza,” meaning that since his family is so rich, he was unable to know right from wrong.
Five civil lawsuits have been filed, including three lawsuits from the families of the four victims who were killed.
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