According to reports, Jackson’s personal assistant during the last two years of his life, Michael Amir Williams, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit before the Los Angeles County Superior Court. He hopes that Jackson’s other employees will join him to form a class action lawsuit.
In his charge, Williams claims that AEG owes him money since it was primarily responsible for the decedent’s death. He affirms that AEG’s acts and omissions caused his late employer’s death. In addition, the lawsuit also claims that AEG failed to pay Jackson’s staff in Jackson’s January 2009 contract with AEG. The lawsuit included a copy of the contract.
Moreover, the acts and omissions that Williams is pertaining to allegedly involve the hiring and supervision of Dr. Conrad Murray who was convicted a year ago after the coroner ruled that Jackson died from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol mixed with sedatives. Murray, being the pop singer’s personal physician, was held responsible for prescribing the drugs that caused the singer’s death.
On the other hand, AEG’s lawyer, Marvin Putnam, referred to the said lawsuit as ‘frivolous,’ and claimed that Williams has no legal standing to sue since he was not even a party to Jackson’s contract with AEG.
In his statement, which was quoted below, Putnam said:
“It is truly unfortunate that so many see Mr. Jackson’s demise as an opportunity to grab as much for themselves as possible.. This is just the latest wrongful death lawsuit with someone hoping to profit from Michael Jackson’s tragic death in the same way they profited from his tragic life.”
Aside from Williams, AEG is also defending itself from the wrongful death lawsuit that was filed by Jackson‘s mother and children.
Meanwhile, according to a Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer who is familiar with similar litigations, Williams has to wait for a judge to decide whether this recent lawsuit can be turned into a class action case if in case the other former employees will eventually join him.
