Family of Washington Man Killed by Tree Toppled in Windstorm Sues

The family of a Washington state man who was killed during an intense windstorm when a tree fell on his car has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the developer of the project where the tree was located.

Jamie Fay was driving home in Gig Harbor on Aug. 29, 2015 with his 3-year-old daughter when the tree struck his vehicle. His daughter was in the back seat and wasn’t harmed.

The suit filed in Pierce County Superior Court claims the developer was negligent for failing to properly log the area and remove the tree.

The tree suffered from extensive root rot.

The lawsuit also claims that the tree was damaged by the use of heavy equipment clearing the land above its root system, in violation of Gig Harbor city codes.