A Michigan mother said she feels like she's 'in hell on Earth' nearly a decade after her beloved daughter was killed in a freak cafeteria table accident because her attorney stole her $600,000 payout.
Tabatha Kerr's three-year-old child, Lilliana Kerr, was playing with a ball on the floor of the gymnasium at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights in January 2017 when a massive 350lb table fell on her, her mother said.
Lilliana was killed in the tragic incident, and her heartbroken mother has been fighting for justice for her ever since.
Tabatha, now 39, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school after her daughter's death and was awarded a $2.5 million settlement.
She was supposed to receive the family's shares from the settlement about eight years ago, but that money remained with her lawyer, Gregory Rohl, Tabatha told Click on Detroit.
'Lonely. Quiet. Stressful. Empty. Hollow. Defeating. I feel like I'm walking on hell on earth. I am tired of being kicked while I'm down,' she stated.
Rohl was disbarred on October 1 after a grievance administrator filed a three-count formal complaint against him, alleging that he misappropriated and failed to distribute court-ordered funds, according to a notice of disbarment and restitution reviewed by the Daily Mail. He pleaded no contest.
'It was alleged respondent used the funds for unrelated purposes, failed to release the children's shares despite court orders, and later made false statements to both a beneficiary's attorney and the AGC regarding his involvement with and disposition of the settlement funds,' the document stated.
Lilliana Kerr, three, died in January 2017 after a 350lb cafeteria table fell on her at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights, Michigan
Tabatha, now 39, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the school after her daughter's death and was awarded a $2.5 million settlement, but she was never delivered her shares
In addition to having his law license revoked, Rohl has to pay restitution of $659,821.44, plus $1,446.14 in other costs.
But Rohl has insisted that he 'never knowingly' took money from a client.
Her lawyer, Gregory Rohl, was disbarred on October 1 after a grievance administrator filed a three-count formal complaint against him, alleging that he misappropriated and failed to distribute court-ordered funds
Rohl, who is currently recovering from a stroke, told the outlet that when the settlement came in, his 'now deceased partner and office manager' was the one who handled the finances in the case.
He said he 'trusted' that person, who eventually assumed control of his firm. He did not identify the individual by name.
'What happened in this case is a true tragedy which cost me my 40-year law career.
'You should review my response to the Request for Investigation which provides a timeline and identifies all those responsible for this loss including my former office manager and the probate attorney appointed by the probate court who was ordered to secure the residual funds on behalf of the children and never did,' Rohl said in a statement to the publication.
He added: 'I have never knowingly taken any monies from any client ever, but the account was in my name making me ultimately responsible for any loss.
'I wish only the best for Tabitha and her family. Lillian's loss was horrific and this nightmare just compounds their loss .'
The Daily Mail attempted to contact Rohl. His website has been taken down.
The table that killed her daughter was supposed to be removed in 2007, but never was, Tabatha wrote on the Lilliana's Law website
Lilliana is survived by her mother (pictured together in an undated image), older brother, Jayden, 19, and her twin sister, Tieranie, who is now 13
While Tabatha has been dealing with the financial loss for her family in court, she has also been taking on a larger fight to make sure what happened to her daughter doesn't happen to other children.
After Lilliana died, she launched proposed legislation called Lilliana's Law.
Tabatha has led ongoing advocacy for proposed Michigan House Bill No. 4167, which would focus on initiatives for improving school safety and preventing accidents from dangerous and outdated furniture and equipment.
The table that killed her daughter was supposed to be removed in 2007, but never was, Tabatha wrote on the Lilliana's Law website.
She has gone on to collect more than 32,000 signatures on a Change.org petition to help persuade lawmakers to pass the bill. Tabatha also has a 510-page research book about the risks to children in schools in Michigan and across the US.
'We don't know the needs and the conditions of our schools. We can hopefully create an adequate framework to address the cause and effect of the dangers of our schools and what our children are facing to minimize the harm and the loss our children and our families have been facing,' she told the outlet.
Lilliana is survived by her mother, older brother, Jayden, 19, and her twin sister, Tieranie, who is now 13.
Source link
