Maybe this mom gave everyone involved the benefit of the doubt and expected that some sort of resolution would come out of this.  Maybe there were insurance companies involved who were unwilling to pay a claim in a satisfactory manner and she's been haggling with them or exhausted her efforts there. You don't know the whole story.  My brother was involved in an accident and it took a few years for resolution.  He went the whole route of trying to work with insurance companies and workers' comp, but after a few years things still weren't resolved and he had medical bills and lost wages up to his eyeballs.  He finally hired an attorney and it was settled within months.  

All we do know is that she lost her only child.  I couldn't even imaging trying to get over something like that.  I can empathize with her if she's been unable to carry on life as usual and work steadily.  It's probably difficult to even get out of bed in the morning.