$15 Million Settlement for Family of Mallory Beach in Bizarre Boat Accident Case

In a high-profile case in the United States, a $15 million settlement has been reached for the family of 19-year-old Mallory Beach, who lost her life in a boat accident. The infamous Alex Murdaugh is involved in the settlement. His son, while intoxicated, was operating the boat. However, it was Murdaugh who ended up being the murderer... of his own son.

The Incident and Settlement

Mallory Beach tragically lost her life in February 2019 when the boat she was in crashed into a bridge. The boat was driven by a drunken Paul Murdaugh, who had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood. The boat was owned by his father, Alex Murdaugh, a well-known ex-lawyer now convicted of murder.

Alongside Alex Murdaugh, the store that sold alcohol to the then-underage Paul was also held accountable. However, a trial will not take place as all parties reached a settlement this week. The settlement stipulates that the victim's family will receive $15 million (€13.3 million) from the defendants. Additionally, $3 million will be paid to four other teenagers who were passengers on the boat.

Given that Alex Murdaugh is virtually bankrupt, most of the amounts will be paid by the store's insurance. Murdaugh himself was a prominent personal injury lawyer in the state.

The Murdaugh Family Drama

Under normal circumstances, the boat's driver, Paul Murdaugh, would have been the one charged for the fatal accident. He had used his older brother's ID to purchase alcohol and was heavily intoxicated.

However, the case took a bizarre turn when Paul and his mother, Margaret, were murdered in June 2021, at the age of 22. The murderer was none other than his father, Alex Murdaugh, who was convicted to life imprisonment earlier this year. The case was widely covered in the US media as it involved the downfall of one of the biggest dynasties in American law.

Alex Murdaugh allegedly committed the murders to divert attention from his financial crimes, which were likely to be exposed due to the boat accident trial. Investigations have also been reopened into the deaths of Murdaugh's housekeeper and a classmate of his other son.