When a person or people die because of the actions of another person, that person who has caused the deaths to occur may face criminal charges. The legal actions may not end there however. When the death is a result of another person or entity's negligence, the loved ones of the person who has died may file a wrongful death claim against responsible parties. This civil lawsuit seeks financial compensation for the life of the person who has died.

Recently, a 27-year-old Pennsylvania man pled guilty in the death of three occupants of a car he hit with his car while driving under the influence of alcohol. When the crash occurred, the man's blood- alcohol content was nearly three times the level allowed to legally drive. As a result of the plea deal he agreed to, he is serving a sentence of 7 ½ to 18 years.

Now, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed by the families of the passengers of the car he hit, who died. One of named defendants in the lawsuit is an antique store called A Corner in Time. The inclusion of this store as a defendant may be surprising to many.

The reason the Bethlehem antique store is being sued is due to its location. It is situated at the intersection of Easton Avenue and Willow Park Road. This is the intersection where the fatal car accident occurred.

The business reportedly has a stone wall on its property that may have prevented the man driving under the influence from seeing the oncoming car. Among other things, the wrongful death lawsuit alleges the owners of the business failed to warn the public about the dangerous conditions existing at the intersection of Easton Avenue and Willow Park Road. Whether the business will remain a defendant in the case as it proceeds or if it will be found liable in the case remains to be seen.

Source: The Express-Times, "Bethlehem area antiques store an unlikely defendant in Anthony Bruno victims' lawsuit," Sara K. Satullo, Feb. 3, 2012