Young Mother Whose Husband and Baby Were Killed by Drunk Driver Sues Lincoln County Business

JULY 23, 2015…A young mother whose husband and baby were killed when an intoxicated motorist crossed the center line on Highway 47 in Lincoln County and crashed into her family’s van is suing Mortimer’s Hall, an event venue in Hawk Point, Missouri.

Attorneys for the young widow, Destiny Mantia, filed the two-count lawsuit in Lincoln County Circuit Court (Case # 15L6-CC00098). The lawsuit charges Mortimer’s Hall & Fireworks, LLC and two co-hosts of a wedding party held there with negligence and liability for allowing party guest Shanna Cook to continue to consume alcoholic beverages after she was visibly intoxicated, and permitting Cook to leave the premises while visibly intoxicated.

The fatal accident occurred on September 20, 2014, a few minutes after Cook left Mortimer’s and the Chevy Suburban she was driving crossed the center line of Highway 47 about 1½ miles from Mortimer’s and slammed into the Mantia family’s van. One-year-old Parker Mantia was killed immediately; Destiny Mantia and her 22-year-old husband Corey Mantia were severely injured and rushed to Mercy Hospital. Corey Mantia died that night from injuries received in the crash. The intoxicated motorist Shanna Cook also was killed by the crash. The Mantias were wearing seat belts and their child was secured in a harnessed booster baby car seat when the accident occurred.

Attorney J.R. Schultz of law firm Drivers Defense Counsel said, “Destiny Mantia lost her husband and one-year-old son on September 20, 2014. Destiny’s life was entirely focused on caring for her family until that tragic incident. She now faces living her life alone and without adequate income to pay her medical bills and living expenses. For a young woman in her twenties that can seem insurmountable, especially with the mental and emotional scars of losing her husband and child.”

Schultz added, “Corey Mantia, a long-time Schnucks Markets’ employee, was the Mantia family’s sole bread winner and the family’s only source of insurance. Our law firm is fighting to give Destiny a financial settlement and a second chance to lead a productive life. Destiny should not have to bear substantial financial burdens because of someone else’s negligence.”

The lawsuit charges that Mortimer’s Hall leased its event space for a wedding party, including the service of alcoholic beverages, on the evening of September 20, 2014. The two-count lawsuit charges Mortimer’s Hall with Dram Shop Liability and Premises Liability.

Attorney Chris Stuffle of Drivers Defense Counsel said, “The deaths of Corey and Parker Mantia destroyed Destiny Mantia’s life. She lost her immediate family and all of their comfort and companionship, and is confronting funeral expenses and enormous medical expenses to treat her injuries as a result of a fatal and tragic incident.”

Destiny Mantia’s lawsuit seeks damages for the loss of her family and her personal injury and medical expenses, and related costs.

The law firm Drivers Defense Counsel, based in St. Louis, focuses on personal injury litigation, motor vehicle accidents, and DWI allegations. For more information, call 314 727 7220 or see the website http://www.driversdefensecounsel.com.

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