Widow Of Firefighter Crushed By Falling Tree Sues Estate For Gross Negligence

The widow of a firefighter who was killed by a tree that fell on top of their SUV has filed a lawsuit, accusing Biltmore of gross negligence.

On June 17, Casey Skudin, a 16-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, was driving through the Baltimore estate in Asheville, with his wife Angela Skudin and their two kids, enjoying a family weekend, when a tree toppled and crushed their rental car.

The family was reportedly planning to celebrate Casey's 46th birthday and Father's Day that weekend.

The horrific moment was caught on Angela’s phone camera.

The footage shared by the New York Post, shows the vehicle taking a bend on a tree-lined road when without warning, a huge tree branch falls on the passing car, shattering the windscreen.

"Is everybody ok?" Angela asks, before looking at her husband and screaming: "Oh my God! Casey!"
Casey died at the scene.

"I am left shattered while I navigate this new existence, one I never wanted to know. I have nothing left to do with my days but fight for you, for our family, for the hero they took," Angela wrote on her Facebook.

The couple’s youngest son, 10-year-old Channing, was reportedly knocked unconscious and suffered multiple fractures to his spine and sternum, while their older son, 19-year-old Benjamin, managed to walk away with minor injuries like his mother.

“It was crazy. I was the only one that wasn’t knocked out," Angela told the Post. "Just watching your husband die and you can’t do anything is really insane."

She is now suing the A$228m estate for "grossly negligent conduct", according to reports.

The widowed mother of two is seeking compensation for medical costs, funeral expenses, lost wages, and punitive damages for the tragedy.

The lawsuit claims Biltmore, “knowingly and intentionally kept a massive, rotted tree on its property next to a main road where Defendants knew it would cause great harm when it fell.”

Following the tragic accident, Biltmore released a statement expressing condolences but denied any wrongdoing.

"Our heartfelt thoughts are with the family and their loved ones, and we are offering assistance at this time," they wrote.

“We are preparing our answer to this lawsuit and will not provide further details while in litigation. We adamantly deny all allegations of willful or intentional conduct on the part of Biltmore, as well as the allegations of negligence. We will present all of the facts about this heartbreaking accident through the legal process.”

The widow also expressed her concerns about other trees she saw on the property adding that she doesn’t want a tragedy like this to happen to any other families visiting Biltmore Estates.