Mother Loses 3-Year-Old Daughter in School Accident — Then Learns Her Family’s $600,000 Settlement Is Missing

Nearly a decade after losing her young daughter in a tragic school accident, a Michigan mother is facing another devastating ordeal: the money intended for her surviving children after a wrongful-death lawsuit was never distributed to them, according to state disciplinary findings.

Tabatha Kerr’s daughter, Lilliana, was just three years old when she died on January 20, 2017. A heavy cafeteria table fell from its wall-mounted storage casing at a Head Start program at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, fatally injuring the toddler.

The family later pursued a wrongful-death lawsuit against multiple parties. The case resulted in a settlement of approximately $2.5 million, according to local news reports. Part of the settlement was intended for Lilliana’s surviving siblings.

But the children reportedly never received their share.

The family’s former attorney, Gregory Rohl, has now been disbarred after a Michigan attorney disciplinary ruling found that he misappropriated settlement funds and failed to distribute court-ordered shares. He pleaded no contest to the disciplinary allegations and was ordered to pay $659,821.44 in restitution, along with additional costs.

For Kerr, the development has reopened wounds that never fully healed. She has spent years grieving her daughter while pushing for stronger school-safety rules to prevent similar tragedies.

Rohl offered a response to local media, saying he had never knowingly taken money from a client. He attributed the loss in part to other people involved in handling the funds, including a former office manager and a probate attorney. The disciplinary ruling, however, held him responsible for the misconduct that led to his disbarment and restitution order.

Kerr’s fight has extended beyond the settlement dispute. She has also advocated for proposed legislation known as “Lilliana’s Law,” which aims to strengthen school safety inspections and improve the tracking of safety incidents.

Her story now involves two separate battles: seeking accountability for the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death and trying to recover money intended for the children who survived her.

The latest disciplinary action does not undo the family’s loss, but it marks a significant development in a case that has continued to affect them years after the original tragedy.

Source:  DAILYMAIL