Florida Wrongful Death Lawsuit Settled Against Ballplayer Leyritz

Former major league baseball player Jim Leyritz has come to a wrongful death settlement with the family of the woman he struck and killed in a Ft. Lauderdale drunk driving accident in December 2007.

According to the wrongful death attorneys in Florida associated with the case, the family of the car accident victim, 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch of Fort Lauderdale, will receive $250,000 from Leyritz’s insurance company in addition to a $1,000 payment each month for the next 100 months. Leyritz also has a DUI manslaughter trial to attend later in 2010, though his lawyers stressed that the wrongful death settlement was not an admission of guilt.

Three years ago, Leyritz was driving home from celebrating his 44th birthday at a Ft. Lauderdale bar when he allegedly ran a red light, striking Veich’s car and killing the driver. Both Leyritz and Veich were legally intoxicated at the time of the deadly Florida car accident. Leyritz insists that Veich caused the vehicle crash.