The news of the Columbus Blue Jackets player, Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother Matthew being recently killed at the hands of a drunk driver is numbing. As an auto accident attorney for over 30 years, I have sat with countless families who were mourning the loss of a loved one; a daughter or son, mother or father, sibling or child. It’s an incredibly awful feeling, even though I am there to help the family the best I can.
This post is not to take anything away from the Gaudreau family; they deserve all the attention, prayers and thoughts as they are in mourning. They deserve everything a GoFundMe campaign brings them; it will never be enough. But it does sadden me that those who are in similar, tragic positions are waking up and going about their days, every day, without the benefit that the publicity of the Gaudreau family would bring them. Johnny Gaudreau has earned tens of millions of dollars during his short career. Presumably, life insurance and an NHL pension will help support the family. Johnny Gaudreau’s GoFundMe campaign is approaching a million dollars.
For comparison, I’d like to introduce you to a family who I am currently representing; a family who recently lost their wife, daughter, mother. On June 6, 2024, 32-year-old Desiree Jones was on her way home from a shift at Amazon when she was killed by a drunk driver who was traveling the wrong way on Michigan Avenue in Canton. Desiree left behind her loving husband, Brian, 2 young daughters, Brooklyn age 4 and Desrian age 1, her mom, Latricia, and many other family members and friends.
The drunk who killed Desiree is sitting in the Wayne County Jail facing multiple felony charges, including second-degree murder that carries a potential life sentence. This is not his first alcohol-related driving offense. He and his wife, the owner of the car, did not have valid insurance on the vehicle. My client and her husband, like so many others who have Cure Auto Insurance, did not have uninsured motorist coverage to protect themselves from an uninsured driver. This is devastating!
Although I received a $10 million judgment against the couple, the odds of collecting any significant money for Desiree’s family is highly unlikely.
So, my heart aches even more that Johnny’s Gaudreau’s fame as a professional hockey player has thrust his story to national headlines and will bring his family upwards of a million dollars through a GoFundMe campaign. Meanwhile, families like that of Desiree Jones, who truly need assistance, must try to raise money through their GoFundMe campaigns without any headlines and publicity to help. The publicity of an NHL player being fatally injured at the hands of a drunk driver brought in nearly $600,000 in its first 5 days. Unfortunately, without the publicity, the family of Desiree Jones’ GoFundMe campaign has only raised $12,795.00 since June 7th!
If you would be interested in helping Desiree’s family, they would really appreciate it. The funds are so badly needed. Please see their GoFundMe at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/87ezqj-support-for-family-after-tragic-loss.
Thanks, Jon
