Mother still seeks justice after daughter’s death and lost settlement funds
Tabatha Kerr says she remains devastated nearly ten years after her three-year-old daughter, Lilliana, was killed when a heavy table fell on her at a church gym in Michigan. Her fight for justice has been compounded by the loss of settlement money that was meant to support her family.
Kerr won a $2.5 million wrongful-death settlement, but says she never received her family’s share, reported as about $600,000. Her former lawyer, Gregory Rohl, was disbarred after a complaint alleged he misused funds and failed to distribute court-ordered money; he pleaded no contest and was ordered to pay $659,821.44 in restitution, plus costs. Rohl said he never knowingly took a client’s money and blamed others involved in handling the funds.
In short
- Lilliana Kerr died aged three when a 350lb table fell on her.
- Her family’s settlement share was not delivered.
- Her former lawyer was disbarred and ordered to pay restitution.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Kerr’s account and the court’s restitution order support the case that her family was denied money awarded to them after a child’s death, compounding an already profound loss. Clients should be able to rely on lawyers and the legal system to safeguard settlements, and the disbarment and penalty reflect the seriousness of that responsibility.
The case against
Rohl’s position is that he did not knowingly take client funds and that others involved in handling the settlement also bear responsibility. A fair assessment should distinguish the established outcomes from unresolved questions about how the money was handled and who was responsible at each stage.
Explained simply
In a wrongful-death case, a family can seek compensation through the courts after someone dies because of another party’s actions. Tabatha Kerr pursued such a case after her three-year-old daughter, Lilliana, was killed by a falling table at a church gym in Michigan.
The case resulted in a settlement intended to compensate Kerr’s family, but the money was handled through legal and financial processes involving her lawyer. Lawyers are required to manage client funds and pass on money owed to clients; misconduct can lead to professional discipline and orders to repay funds. The dispute matters because it concerns both a family’s access to compensation and the safeguards meant to protect money held for clients.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Mother of girl, 3, killed in freak cafeteria table accident says she’s ‘in hell on Earth’ 10 years on after attorney stole $600k payout”.