Purdue University

Indianapolis, IN: (Aug-21-07) The parents of Wade Steffey, a 19-year-old freshman, filed charges against Purdue University, after the boy was fatally shocked in a dormitory's high-voltage utility room. Steffey, died Jan. 13, 2007 in the utility room, but his body wasn't discovered until two months later. He was last seen at a fraternity party in the area. Sources claimed that Steffey probably walked into the utility room after trying several doors to get into the dorm, where he had stored his coat in a friend's room.

In a settlement reached, Purdue University agreed to pay the family $500,000 to resolve the wrongful death case. Additionally, the university agreed to pay $100,000 for a scholarship endowment. Under the terms of the settlement, Steffey's parents give up any further claim to payment from Purdue. The $500,000 was paid in a lump sum to Steffey's parents, Dale Steffey and Dawn Adams, and sources stated that it was the maximum claim under Indiana law that can be made against a public institution in a wrongful death case. Adams said at a news conference that she and her husband look forward to working with Purdue to select scholarship recipients. The awards will aid other students, which helps them feel better as they deal with the loss of their son. [TIMES ONLINE: UTILITY ROOM SHOCK]

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Published on Aug-22-07