Judge Awards Petito Family $3M in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A year after their daughter's highly publicized death, Gabby Petito's family is awarded a $3 million settlement for their wrongful death lawsuit.

The Case: Petito v. Laundrie

The Court: Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, Sarasota County Florida

The Case No.: 2022 CA 1128 SC

The Plaintiff: Petito v. Laundrie

The plaintiffs in the case were the family of Gabby Petito. Following the death of their daughter, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's estate. The Petito family lost their daughter, and before the mystery surrounding her death was solved, her fiance, Brian Laundrie, committed suicide - leaving behind a notebook in which he confessed. Denied the opportunity to confront their daughter's killer, Gabby's family sought justice through the court system in the only way they knew how.

The Defendant: Petito v. Laundrie

The defendant in the case was Laundrie's estate. Laundrie was Gabby's fiance. At the time of her death, the two were on a cross-country road trip "out West" in a converted van that Gabby was documenting on social media.

The Case: Petito v. Laundrie

The final judgment from the 12th Judicial Circuit Court awarded the Petito family $3 million from Laundrie's estate. According to the media, the family filed a second lawsuit pending in Sarasota, claiming that Laundrie's parents concealed their son's confession before he returned home to Florida in September 2021 without Gabby. Separate from the wrongful death lawsuit against Laundrie's estate, the Petito family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department to demand accountability and seek change in the system. Shortly before Gabby's death, the police responded to a domestic violence call and interviewed Gabby and Brian. Gabby's body was later found in the Spread Creek Dispersed Area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest (September 19, 2021). Federal investigators confirmed it was Gabby Petito two days later, but the death was initially ruled a homicide, with Brian Laundrie noted as a person of interest. Laundrie went missing shortly after the search for Petito began. His body was later recovered in the Carlton Reserve. The FBI obtained his confession written in a notebook in October 2021. In the notebook, Laundrie confessed to the murder of Gabby Petito, his former fiance. It is suspected that Gabby Petito was a victim of long-term domestic violence and abuse. The family hopes to bring attention to the lack of response and proper police training that could have put a stop to this situation and avoided the fatal outcome.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.