Jurors Award $16.6M in Damages to Strange Family

RADIO ONLINE | , , | :am CT

Jurors in the wrongful death suit against Entercom and KDND-FM in Sacramento have awarded a whopping $16.6 million to the family of Jennifer Strange. Strange, 28, died nearly three years ago after finishing second in 107.9 The End's "Hold Your Wee For a Wii," the now infamous bladder buster stunt put together by the Morning Rave.

Attorneys for Strange's husband children had asked the jurors to hold KDND, and its parent company, Entercom, liable for Strange's death -- seeking between $24 and $34 million in damages. Entercom's lawyer told the seven-man, five-woman jury that if they do find either party at fault, that it should award Strange's survivors only $4.5 million in damages.

Entercom's attorney admitted in closing arguments that top officials at KDND made "serious, tragic mistakes," but that they shouldn't necessarily make corporate parent Entercom Communications liable for Strange's death on January 12, 2007.

Strange died after participating in KDND's "Hold Your Wee for a Wii" contest for the popular and then hard-to-get Nintendo video game to whoever could drink the most water without urinating or vomiting. The Sacramento County Coroner's Office druled that died of acute water intoxication. Even though the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department investigated the case, no charges were filed.

Plaintiffs attorneys filed the wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of her husband, William Strange, individually and as guardian of their two young children, Ryland, 6, and Jorie, 3, and Ronald Sims, the father and guardian of the women's oldest son, Keegan, 13.