Knoke Ex Rel. Estate of Knoke v. South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism

MOORE, Justice:

RespondenVappellant Knoke commenced this wrongful death action to recover for the death of his twelve-year-old son, Jeremy. The jury returned a verdict of $3,000,000. We affirm.

FACTS

Jeremy died in a fire on July 5, 1991, while sleeping in a cabin at Cheraw State Park. He was staying at the park’s group camp facility as a guest of Berea First Baptist Church which had leased the facility from appellanVrespondent (Department). Five boys slept in a ten-by-twelve room in a cabin on four beds pushed closely together, one with a top bunk bed on it. After the boys were asleep, a fire…