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Casey Anthony: Not guilty, but she may face personal injury lawsuits

Casey Anthony was acquitted of killing her own young daughter, but her legal battle may be far from over. Anthony can face civil lawsuits in connection with circumstances surrounding the 2008 disappearance and death of her 2-year-old, Caylee Anthony. Already, someone has filed a lawsuit against Anthony alleging defamation.

At the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone, our Massachusetts personal injury attorneys have experience representing clients who have been injured by the negligence of others, even if the person who caused harm was acquitted of criminal charges.

For example, a drunk driver may be found not guilty of manslaughter in a criminal court. The family of the victim, however, may still pursue a wrongful death claim against the driver.

O.J. Simpson, perhaps the most famous example of a person being held responsible by a civil court for actions after an acquittal on murder charges, was ordered to pay $33.5 million for the wrongful deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

With criminal charges, the U.S. Constitution protects people from ever being charged with the same crime after being found not guilty. Even if new evidence comes forward or if she changes her story and admits killing her daughter, Anthony cannot be charged in the death of Caylee.

The system was created this way to protect people from losing their freedom and serving time behind bars, or getting the death penalty, for something they didn’t do. In the Casey Anthony case, she could have been sentenced to death is she was convicted of murder in Florida.

Casey Anthony, however, may be hit with a civil lawsuit filed by people who believe they lost money because of her actions. Like Simpson, Anthony may be ordered to pay money to those she harmed based on the standard used in a civil court.

A woman named Zenaida Gonzalez is pursuing a defamation lawsuit against Casey Anthony. Gonzalez shares the same name as a made-up baby-sitter who Anthony blamed for kidnapping her daughter.

To learn more about your rights, don’t hesitate to contact a personal injury attorney in Massachusetts. If you or someone you love has been injured due to someone else’s irresponsible behavior, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Choose a Massachusetts personal injury lawyer who focuses on getting results for clients: the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone.