NASCAR has verbally agreed to a settlement stemming from the death of one of its employees, pilot Michael Klemm, after he and Dr. Bruce Kennedy were killed when a plane owned by the racing company crashed last year, court records show. The Daytona Beach News-Journal viewed part of the Klemm court file earlier this week before the file was sealed. A handwritten document in the court file reflected $2.4 million “wrongful death claim approved.” Eric Latinsky, an attorney for Klemm’s widow Wendy and the couple’s three sons, would not confirm the amount, saying he and NASCAR officials had agreed to keep the settlement confidential. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston, when reached Wednesday, said he knew a settlement was in the works but was unaware of the amount or stipulations of the agreement. “The purpose (of the settlement) was to make sure the Klemm children could continue their education and be taken care of,” Latinsky said Wednesday. “It was a confidential settlement and one of the main concerns was, in light of losing Michael at such a young age, how would (the sons) be able to attend college in the future.” The Klemms’ three sons are 18, 21 and 23, court documents show.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(9-18-2008)
