Brandy Courts More Trouble

by Julie Keller Wed Feb 21, 11:09 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Brandy is facing more legal gridlock over her fatal freeway crash.

A second wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed against the Grammy-winning entertainer over the Dec. 30 car crash that resulted in the death of Awatef Aboudihaj, 38, and injuries to her two sons.

The most recent suit was filed on behalf of the Mrwan Mohamed, 14, and Kareem Mohamed, 10, who received injuries that their attorney, Paul N. Phillips, says will cause some permanent disability.

The suit, filed Feb. 8 in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that Brandy (listed by her legal name of Brandy Norwood in the complaint) was driving her sport utility vehicle "recklessly and carelessly" when she struck Aboudihaj's Honda on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles and that the singer-actor was directly responsible for the crash.

(According to a report from the California Highway Patrol, Brandy smashed into a car in front of her when highway traffic slowed, resulting in a chain reaction that pushed Aboudihaj's Honda into oncoming traffic.)

The lawsuit claims the children are facing a lifetime of emotional strife over losing their mother.

Court papers say that "as a direct and proximate result of Decedent's passing, Plaintiffs forever lost the comfort, society, love, affection, advice, training, society, companionship, care and pecuniary and other support of their mother."

Phillips requested that damages be determined by the court.

There was no immediate comment from Brandy's camp. But her publicist, Allan Meyer, did release a statement after Aboudihaj's Morocco-based parents filed their own $50 million wrongful-death action Jan. 30.

"The accident was a terrible tragedy, and Brandy's heart goes out to Awatef Aboudihaj's family. But for legal reasons we cannot comment on this lawsuit," said Mayer.

That suit also alleges Brandy's reckless driving resulted in Aboudihaj's death. Family attorney Lotfy Mrich told a Los Angeles TV station that the woman worked three jobs to take care of her parents in Morocco, her ill brother and sister and her three children from a previous marriage.

"I don't think any amount of money that can be given to them will compensate them for such a loss," Mrich told KCAL9. "She was a special, special lady."

It was not immediately clear whether the two cases would be pursued independently or combined.

Meanwhile, a spokesman says the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office is still probing the incident and has not yet decided whether to charge Brandy with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter as recommended by California Highway Patrol investigators.

The count carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.