Jury Selected In Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A federal jury in Detroit has been seated to hear a wrongful death lawsuit filed by a Farmington Hills man who lost his wife and two children in a traffic accident.

Gary Weinstein is suing the former employer of Thomas Wellinger, who was drunk and doing 70 miles per hour when he slamed into a vehicle driven by Weinstein's wife in 2005. Judith Weinstein and the couple's nine and 12 year-old sons died.

At the time, Wellinger was a sales executive at UGS Corporation, now Siemens. Wellinger was returning from Traverse City. His blood-alcohol level at the time of the accident was five times over the legal limit.

The jury will decide whether UGS knew or should have known Wellinger was driving drunk. The company denies responsibility.

Wellinger was convicted of second-degree murder and is serving a 19-to-30 year prison sentence.

(Copyright 2010, WWJ Newsradio 950. The Associated Press and Detroit Free Press Contributed To This Story)