Personal Injury News: Pick Of Last Month: May-2021
$18M For A Teen Shot At A Convenient Store
A federal jury ordered the owner of the Little Rock convenience store to pay $18 million to the family of a teen who was shot and killed inside the store.
As per the court documents, the boy was a bystander at the store when he was accidentally shot with bullets. The attorneys assessed the incident and the scenario which concluded that the owner was responsible for the mishap. The police provided a three-year report of the investigation which suggested that the owner of the store was incapable of providing the basic measures that could have prevented the incident.
The verdict came five years after the incident. The attorney for the deceased's family said that even though the family has been awarded the settlement, it cannot get the boy back. The verdict will prevent further such scenarios that could result in senseless deaths in the future.
Kearny Man Gets $1.1M In Motorcycle Crash Lawsuit
A jury awarded more than $1 million in a settlement to a Kearny man who got seriously injured during a motorcycle crash in 2019.
The plaintiff filed the lawsuit in Hudson County Superior Court in July 2019, a month later after the crash. According to the court documents, on June 23, 2019, the 25 year-old plaintiff was struck by the defendant while he was riding his motorcycle on the Route 17 loop in Lyndhurst.
The crash resulted in severe and permanent injuries for the plaintiff, which will cause great suffering and pain in the future for him. He will have to suffer from permanent disability for the rest of his life.
No specific injuries were accounted n the five-page lawsuit provided by the court, but the plaintiff suffered from severe spinal injuries. The injuries are so severe that the plaintiff will not be able to work and attend office. The lawsuit did not state the plaintiff's profession.
The final settlement amount has not been disclosed yet by the court, but the sources state that the plaintiff requested $1.5 million as compensation. The attorney for the plaintiff could not be reached for comment.
A wrongful death lawsuit involving Kern County sheriff’s deputy who ran a red light and killed an Oildale woman has settled for $2.5 million.
According to the lawsuit filed in 2016, the collision happened on September 24, 2014, when the defendant was traveling at 85 mph on North Chester Avenue ran a red light and struck the driver-side of the women's vehicle, which was traveling east on West China Grade Loop at 43 mph
The lights and siren of the defendant's vehicle were activated at the time of the crash, but the California Highway Patrol (CHP) found that the speed reduced their effectiveness. He was on his way to assist another deputy in connection with a fight at the Long Branch Saloon.
The lawsuit was filed against the county in U.S. District Court in Fresno, alleging the actions of the deputy as negligent and reckless. A CHP investigation indicated the defendant at fault in the crash because he entered a “solid red light” while speeding.
In 2017, the defendant pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to 240 hours of community service, and was no longer with the sheriff’s office at the time of the plea agreement. The settlement amount will be given to the two adult children of the victim.
Earlier in March 2020, a similar incident took place when a Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Special Agent rammed into the rear end of a man from Long Beach. The crash caused permanent disability to the man for which he received $900,000 as a settlement from the government.
Woman Get $16.5M From Island County Over Fatal Car Crash
A federal jury has awarded $16.5 million to a woman who lost two young daughters in a fiery car crash.
As per the court documents, the woman was driving a minivan around a winding stretch of N. Sunrise Boulevard on Camano Island’s northeast corner. Her daughters were seated in the back seat of the car. Her car slipped on an ice patch, which resulted in her car crashing into the trees and eventually caught fire. A passerby managed to get the woman out of the car but was not able to save her daughters. The crash resulted in severe injuries, severe burns on the face and legs, and broken bones of the woman.
The place where the accident took place has a brief history of such mishaps. The 'S' curve at the place of accident is the main reason for repetitive catastrophes.
The woman will get $16 million from the Island County and even the man who pulled her out of the car will be rewarded $500,000. The money will provide the woman with financial relief as the woman is not able to attend work due to the injuries and even her husband has to stay at home to look after her. The money will help the couple to buy a new house, raise their son and cover up the medical expenses of the woman.
On September 15, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors consented to a $5 million settlement over a 2017 lawsuit involving a patrol vehicle that killed two boys, 7 and 9 years old, on a sidewalk.
According to a charge evaluation worksheet provided by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, the tragic incident happened at around 7:25 p.m. on November 16, 2017, when a patrol trainee, along with a veteran by her side, was responding to a call involving a shooting. The trainee was driving a 2015 Ford Explorer SUV about 14 mph when a Honda Accord smashed it and then swung and hit another stopped car. The SUV had its emergency lights on as it rushed through a red light at the intersection of Indiana Street and Whittier Boulevard.
The SUV, after colliding with the Accord, accelerated to about 22 mph, and the driver tried to deviate the vehicle to avoid hitting the pedestrians but struck a 7-year old and his 9-year-old brother, who were going back home from school with their mother, and two other pedestrians, along with a trash bin that hit someone else.
The 7-year old boy died at the scene, and his brother sustained fatal injuries, whereas their mother suffered from a crushed pelvis and broken bones, and six other people were also injured.
A lawsuit was filed against the county and the trainee by the mother and other plaintiffs claiming that the trainee was trained improperly and acted recklessly. Traffic investigators called the action "without due regard for the safety of all persons on the highway" and concluded that the accident happened as the trainee rushed through the red light without having both lights on and a siren to alert pedestrians and other vehicles to make a way.
Criminal charges were declined against the trainee, stating that more would be required to prove that her actions rose to criminal negligence or ordinary negligence.
In a similar incident of 2012, a truck driver who was driving a pickup truck rammed into a school van that was carrying the school basketball team. The crash resulted in the instant death of the truck driver and the two coaches of the team out of which one was driving the van. Even the students suffered injuries due to the crash.
Estate Of Unarmed Mentally Ill Man Gets $5M
The family of a mentally ill man who got shot by police will be awarded $5.3 million as a settlement from the city of Santa Clara.
According to the court documents, the police were on the fifth call of the day at the same house where the deceased lived. During the first four calls, the man threatened his stepfather, himself, and officers by saying that he has a gun and will shoot anybody who will come inside his room. So the police did not consider arresting him initially. But on the fifth call, the parents of the man informed the police that he stabbed himself and fled from the bedroom window. The man was mentally ill and suicidal due to which he was causing chaos.
The police officers trailed behind him and shot at him. The officers later discovered that the man was unarmed. He only had a knife which he used to harm himself.
The police officials were cleared of the charges of killing the man as the attorneys for the police explained that the officers have to attend many such calls during their duty. Even the city officials grieved at the family's loss and wish that the settlement will help the family to deal with their son's loss.
California Republican Party To Pay $11M In A Orange County Motorcycle Crash
A Riverside County motorcyclist who suffered life-altering injuries in an Orange County freeway crash will be paid $11 million by the California Republican Party.
According to the court documents, on August 05, 206, the plaintiff was returning to his home at Riverside County at 3:30 p.m. on a Yamaha when a Chevrolet Malibu near Gypsum Canyon Road struck his motorcycle. The accident left the plaintiff quadriplegic affecting him and his family as he is the sole breadwinner of the family. The tragedy has left him physically and mentally disturbed.
The attorney for the plaintiff claimed that the defendant was a paid employee for a politician's State Assembly campaign of 2016. He even added that the campaign was uninsured.
As per further investigation from the plaintiff's attorney, the defendant was working to gather data of potential voters for the politician who formed a joint venture with the California Republican Party. As a result, the attorney stated that the political party should be held accountable for the accident as the party's worker did not have a valid driver's license.
Currently, the plaintiff is undergoing physical therapy and an adaptive CrossFit to regain his strength. He is also an active volunteer with the Triumph Foundation where he is a speaker and counselor for people who are newly diagnosed with spinal cord injuries.