Following $15 million settlement, what's next in legal matters involving Beach family?
While settlements have been reached in the 2019 Beaufort County boat crash that took the life of 19-year-old Mallory Beach and injured several other boaters, legal matters involving this high-profile boating under the influence incident are far from over.
Claims against co-defendant Gregory M. Parker and his Parker's Corporation have been settled by Parker's insurance carriers, while claims against jailed and disbarred lawyer Alex Murdaugh remain ongoing.
Mark Tinsley, attorney for the Beach family and estate, and other attorneys say they are still winding up the remaining claims against Murdaugh with the court-appointed receivers who have taken control of all of his assets.
While the Parker's defendants were sued over allegations they illegally sold alcohol to the underaged boaters, Murdaugh was named in these civil suits over allegations that he allowed his underaged son Paul to consume alcohol to excess and operate watercraft recklessly.
Murdaugh, now a convicted murderer who stands accused in a string of financial crimes and civil suits, had his assets seized by the courts and frozen to create a potential settlement fund for all of his alleged victims or plaintiffs.
While insurance carriers for the Parker's defendants sat for mediation negotiations Sunday, neither Murdaugh's attorneys nor his insurance carriers participated in the negotiations, nor have they officially agreed on any settlements, said one of Murdaugh's attorneys.
"We are still amenable to settling, we just haven't worked out the details yet," said M. Dawes Cooke Jr., civil attorney for Murdaugh. Criminal attorneys for Murdaugh did not respond to an email seeking comment.
Murdaugh saga: Boaters' attorneys, Parker's respond to Beach wrongful death suit settlements
Cooke added that he expects an agreement to be reached soon, and any settlement involving Murdaugh will likely be a combination of insurance payouts combined with Murdaugh's receivership funds in the hands of the court.
Tinsley also said Sunday's settlement does not stop the parallel civil conspiracy and harassment case he has filed against Parker’s for the Beach family. No trial date has been set in this case.
"We have not settled the conspiracy case against Greg Parker and the other people involved with their vile attacks against the Beach family and their quest to get justice. We intend to hold Greg Parker personally responsible in that lawsuit," Tinsley added.
Follow Michael DeWitt's reporting as The Hampton County Guardian/Greenville News and the USA Today Network continue to follow this developing legal case, and you can follow DeWitt on Facebook and on Twitter at @mmdewittjr for the latest updates.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: After settlement, what's next in legal matters involving Beach family
