A Stratford, Conn., family filed a lawsuit
against Sandals Resorts International, charging Sandals with
"wrongful death and negligence" in the death of their 10-year-old
daughter in a van accident en route to Beaches Boscobel resort in
Ocho Rios, Jamaica, in February 2005.
The lawsuit,
filed in Circuit Court in the 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward
County, Fla., alleges that Sandals "recklessly failed to provide
safe transportation" for the family, which was en route from
Montego Bay's Sangster Airport to the resort.
Sandals declined
to comment on the lawsuit, "as this is a pending legal
matter."
However, the
company said, "The entire Sandals family joins in a heartfelt
expression of sympathy to Donna and Jeff Babineau on the loss of
their child. Sadly, their daughter lost her life in a vehicle
accident in Jamaica.
"Following this
terrible tragedy, we provided ongoing support, and we join in
continued condolences at their loss."
The lawsuit
claims that Erin Marie Babineau "sustained fatal injuries in a car
accident resulting from the reckless driving of an unlicensed,
unskilled and grossly negligent driver who had been provided by
Sandals as part of an all-inclusive family vacation
package."
"Sandals broke an
explicit promise to provide safe and worry-free transportation from
the airport to the resort."
The Babineau
family plans to donate any monies received from the Sandals suit to
build a community sports center in Stratford in their daughter's
memory.
To contact the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail
to Gay Nagle Myers at [email protected].