[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/courageous-americans-turn-grief-into-action\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/courageous-americans-turn-grief-into-action\/","headline":"Courageous Americans Turn Grief into Action","name":"Courageous Americans Turn Grief into Action","description":"Read about how ordinary people took extraordinary action to pursue justice, and in the process, helped protect the safety and legal rights of others. We think these stories represent the best of our civil justice system in action. Many of you know too well the life-changing consequences of a devastating injury. Far too often, tragedy […]","datePublished":"2017-10-03","dateModified":"2025-11-27","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/author\/briane-pagel\/#Person","name":"Briane Pagel","url":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/author\/briane-pagel\/","identifier":29,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/457ef237bf76f8939a4550b2f672b542659ac99ac598d97e10a760eb25488c45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/457ef237bf76f8939a4550b2f672b542659ac99ac598d97e10a760eb25488c45?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"LawtonCates, S.C.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lawtoncates-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/lawtoncates-logo.png","width":438,"height":73}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/lawton-cates-attorneys.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/lawton-cates-attorneys.jpg","width":694,"height":550},"url":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/courageous-americans-turn-grief-into-action\/","about":["Americans' Rights"],"wordCount":208,"articleBody":"Read about how ordinary people took extraordinary action to pursue justice, and in the process, helped protect the safety and legal rights of others. We think these stories represent the best of our civil justice system in action.Many of you know too well the life-changing consequences of a devastating injury. Far too often, tragedy might have been prevented if not for the carelessness or negligence of others. Those haunting \u201cwhat ifs\u201d only compound the grief for family, friends and the community.This month we bring you the stories of four families that turned their grief and \u201cwhat ifs\u201d into action:Vicki Seliger Swenson, a sister who helped change state law to protect women after her sister was brutally murdered.Eric Rice,\u00a0a father fighting laws that penalize people hurt or killed by medical mistakes after his daughter died from a botched diagnosis.Daphne Izer,\u00a0a mother who started Parents Against Tired Truckers after her son and three friends were killed by a semi-driver who fell asleep at the wheel.Ken and Beth Melton,\u00a0parents who single-handedly uncovered GM\u2019s attempt to hide problems with a faulty ignition switch after their daughter died in a car crash.Presenting our nominees for the\u00a02014 Justice Served Award.Read their stories."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Courageous Americans Turn Grief into Action","item":"https:\/\/www.lawtoncates.com\/blog\/courageous-americans-turn-grief-into-action\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]