Lugardo v County of Los Angeles, et al.
Our Results:
Case Study
Client Maria Ramirez and her daughter Dianne Lugardo were walking on a residential street when they were struck by an LA County Sheriff's vehicle, who was in in hot pursuit with lights and sirens. Ms. Ramirez was taken my ambulance, diagnosed with a head injury and released from care. Over the course of the next several years, Ms. Ramirez began to experience frequent headaches and was ultimately diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury. The LA County Sheriff's initially placed blame on another vehicle, who almost stopped in the middle of the road and veered to the left thereby colliding with the Sheriff's vehicle who was in pursuit. The third party vehicle had minimal coverage and tendered their limits, accepting liability for the collision. A witness to the collision also placed blame on the third party vehicle on the traffic collision report.
We were able to ultimately prove that although the LA County Sheriff's vehicle was in pursuit, which would afford them governmental immunity against any claims, he failed to operate his vehicle with reasonable care, taking into account the emergency situation.
The claim was initially rejected, and no offers were made. As the trial date approached, LA County offered $900,000 to settle the case. The offer jumped up to $3.99M just before trial, and finished at $4.75M.
Injury Summary
- Traumatic Brain Injury
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