What attracts people to the opportunity to become police officers? For some people, it's the opportunity to serve and protect their communities. For others, it's power; for some, it's a legal and productive way to satisfy their adrenaline cravings.

But what about the rest of us? We don't approach people who have their guns drawn, and we don't drive our cars in excess of 100 mph in an attempt to reach people in need. In fact, many people try to stay as far away from those dangerous situations as possible.

Unfortunately, that's not always enough. In 2010, a 16-year-old Wisconsin teen was killed in a fatal car accident when a police officer sailed through a red light at about 90 mph.

At the time of the car accident, the police officer was responding to an emergency call. But does that mean her negligence is acceptable? Absolutely not. Although the police officer was acquitted of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle, the teen's parents won the wrongful death lawsuit they filed.

The teen's parents will receive more than $525,000 from the settlement, which is almost the full amount they asked for. The settlement cannot erase the pain the parents are feeling, but it can be used to pay for their son's funeral expenses. In addition, if the teen's parents need to take time off work to grieve the loss of their son, the settlement can help give them the financial flexibility to do that.

Source: LaCrosseTribune.com, "County settles Jennings claim; $525K to be paid in fatal crash," Betsy Bloom, Jan. 20, 2012