Wrongful death case ended with judge’s ruling

A confidential settlement is being entered to resolve the death more than seven years ago in what then was a rain-swollen Wild and Scenic Chattooga River in Oconee County.  The case was brought by the personal representative of a rafter who was part of an outing arranged by a pair of outfitters.  On behalf of Linda Hill, personal representative of the estate of Tom Hill, plaintiff’s lawyer Robert Jones contended the 2013 rafting expedition took place after heavy rain left the water levels unsafe to take commercial passengers down a set of intense rapids.  Tom Hill was thrown into the river and his body was not retrieved for 17 days.  By accepting the publicly undisclosed settlement, plaintiff Linda Hill waives the right to a jury trial and accepts the settlement as final.  The settlement was approved by 10th Circuit Judge Scott Sprouse during a web-ex hearing this morning that emanated from the Oconee Courthouse.