In the wrongul dealth lawsuit of the Estate of Keith Magnuson v. Rob Ramage, the jury in St. Louis County, Missouri has awarded 9.5 million in favor of the plaintiffs, according to the Canadian Press. The case stems from a fatal drunk driving accident that occurred in 2003 and resulted in the death of former Chicago Blackhawk Keith Magnuson. The two former NHL players were traveling from a funeral together outside of Toronto, Canada when the accident took place.
In closing arguments the personal injury lawyer for Magnuson’s family asked for an award ranging from 25 to 33 million. One of the defense lawyers recommended a lesser figure of 2.5 million. After the verdict, the accident lawyer for Magnuson’s family stated that the result was fair.
Ramage was also recently found guilty of various forms of DUI charges in criminal court and is scheduled to be sentenced in January, 2008. Ramage himself underwent hip surgery as a result of the motor vehicle collision.
Magnuson played in the NHL from 1969-1979, and all of his 589 career games were with the Chicago Blackhawks. He went to the Stanley Cup twice with the Hawks in 1971 and 1973, both times losing to the Montreal Canadiens. He was also captain of the Blackhawks for several years.