Final 9/11 wrongful death suit settled

The last wrongful death suit stemming from the Sept. 11 hijackings was resolved late Monday as the family of a former Los Angeles Kings hockey scout agreed to a settlement just two months before a scheduled trial in Manhattan.

A lawyer for Mary Bavis, the mother of deceased scout Mark Bavis, said the family felt it had exposed the failings of United Airlines and airport security provider Huntleigh Corp. in court filings, and wouldn't have time in a compressed trial to do the full story justice.

"The court had this idea that somehow this trial could be accomplished in three weeks," lawyer Don Migliori said of rulings by U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein. "When the process got reduced to days instead of weeks or months, the family had to decide what's the best way to speak for Mark."

Bavis, of West Newton, Mass., was aboard United Flight 175 when it crashed into the World Trade Center's south tower. Migliori would not disclose the amount of the settlement and a lawyer for United did not return a call. A lawyer for Huntleigh confirmed the settlement.

The Bavis family was the last holdout in court, after all other victims' families agreed to drop their cases in return for a payment from the federal Victims Compensation Fund.