What kind of legal culture gives the Govt the power or the right to sue parents for "involuntary manslaughter" because their child got killed trying to cross th

What kind of legal culture gives the Govt the power or the right to sue parents for "involuntary manslaughter" because their child got killed trying to cross the road? What I see here is basically or low income probably poorly educated couple who didn't have the intellectual knowledge/capabability to seek proper legal support and advice to fight the case. This is nothing more than the abuse of the justice system, otherwise known as lawfare.