Families Of Men Killed In Boat Crash File Lawsuits Against José Fernández's Estate

The parents of the two men who were killed alongside José Fernández in a boat crash last September are suing the estate of the former Miami Marlins pitcher, seeking $2 million each with negligence and personal injury lawsuits.

The families of Eduardo Rivero, 25, and Emilio Jesus Macias, 27, are being represented by the same lawyer and filing their lawsuits separately, according to the Sun Sentinel. Though the boat belonged to Fernández, investigators from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission still have not been able to conclude who was driving at the time of the crash. Autopsies showed that Fernández had a blood alcohol level of .14 with cocaine in his system when the boat crashed into a Miami Beach jetty, while Rivero had a blood alcohol level of .06 with cocaine present in his system and Macias had a blood alcohol level of .04.

Fernández’s mother, Maritza Gomez Fernández, filed a petition last month to administer his estate. The Rivero and Macias families indicated through their attorney that they are open to reaching a settlement with the estate rather than going through a prolonged legal battle, but the Fernández family attorney told the Sun Sentinel that it’s “highly unlikely” there would be interest in settling at this time—with the birth of Fernández’s baby expected soon.

Fernández announced days before his death that his girlfriend was pregnant with their first child.

[ Sun Sentinel]