Defendants & Plaintiffs Reach Settlement in Sandra Harmon Wrongful Death Lawsuit

In recent news, the defendants and plaintiffs agreed on a settlement in the wrongful death lawsuit of Sandra Harmon.

The Case: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

The Court: United States District Court Northern District of California

The Case No.: 21-cv-01463-VC

The Plaintiff: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

Sandra Harmon, a 56-year-old woman suffering from mental health issues, was shot by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies in Half Moon Bay in May 2020. The plaintiff in the case is the Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon. Sarah Gatliff, Harmon's daughter, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in March 2021 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit listed nine complaints:

• Excessive force

• Loss of familial association

• Spoliation of evidence

• Conspiracy

• Supervisory liability

• Municipal liability

• Wrongful death

• Negligence

• Negligent supervision, training & retention

The Defendant: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

The lawsuit initially named nine defendants (including three deputies in the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, the city of Half Moon Bay, and San Mateo County). The lawsuit also named Sheriff Carlos Bolanos, District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe, and their respective offices. However, according to court documents, Gatliff and her legal counsel amended the complaint in August 2021, removing claims against Bolanos, Wagstaffe, and Sgt. James Goulart and their respective offices.

Details of the Case: Estate of Sandra Lee Harmon, et al., v. County of San Mateo, et al.

According to court documents, Dominguez was the first of two deputies to shoot Harmon. According to witnesses, on the night she was shot, Harmon was walking downtown holding a rifle and some alcohol while talking about a pending "race war." The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office claims Harmon fired the rifle on Officer Dominguez. Twenty seconds later, Baba arrived on the scene and ordered Harmon to get on the ground. According to the Sheriff's Office, Harmon reached for her weapon instead of getting on the ground, so the deputies fired. After lengthy court proceedings, the two parties in the case agreed to a settlement on Nov. 10th. According to the settlement agreement, San Mateo County will pay $170,000 to Gatliff and Harmon's estate.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Evansville Police Face Wrongful Death Lawsuit After Fatal Shooting

The Evansville Police face a wrongful death lawsuit concerning a November 2020 shooting.

The Case: Earnise Pam and Sasha Boyd v. City of Evansville, Indiana, Evansville Police Department, etc.

The Court: Butte County Superior Court of the State of California

The Case No.: 3:22-cv-00172-RLY-MPB

The Plaintiffs: Earnise Pam and Sasha Boyd v. City of Evansville, Indiana, Evansville Police Department, etc.

The plaintiffs in the case, Earnise Pam and Sasha Boyd, are the family of Rodriquez Pam, the 33-year-old who died after a police-involved shooting in Evansville, Indiana in November 2020.

The Defendants: Earnise Pam and Sasha Boyd v. City of Evansville, Indiana, Evansville Police Department, etc.

The defendants in the case are the City of Evansville, Indiana, the Evansville Police Department, and Police Chief Billy Bolin. On November 8, 2020, officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of Cherry Street after a 911 caller reported a man was pointing a gun at her and her dog. Evansville Police Sergeant Nick Winsett said once they arrived on the scene, Pam pointed a gun at officers, and then two officers shot him. Rodriquez Pam was declared dead at the scene. According to the lawsuit, plaintiffs allege that Pam was complying with the officer’s commands and did not have a gun in his hand when he was shot.

Additional Allegations: Earnise Pam and Sasha Boyd v. City of Evansville, Indiana, Evansville Police Department, etc.

Additionally, they allege that the crime scene was altered for crime scene photos to make it look like Rodriguez Pam was holding a gun. A handgun was found at the scene, but the plaintiffs allege that the gun was not loaded. Pam’s family claims he had a BAC level of 0.310 at the time of death, so he likely had trouble understanding the officer’s command. The plaintiffs claim that the officers responding to the 911 call failed to recognize that Pam was intoxicated or in a mental health crisis and therefore did not respond appropriately.

Details of the Case: Earnise Pam and Sasha Boyd v. City of Evansville, Indiana, Evansville Police Department, etc.

The family did not include a dollar amount in the wrongful death lawsuit. Pam is survived by five children and his parents. The family seeks judgment against the defendants for compensatory, special, and punitive damages and other and further relief as the Court finds just and equitable. The plaintiffs demand a jury trial.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Sweet Widow Agreed to Settle Wrongful Death Lawsuit for $8 Million

In recent news, the widow of Daniel Shaver, Laney Sweet, agreed to settle her wrongful death lawsuit for $8 million.

The Case: Sweet v. City of Mesa

The Court: United States District Court, District of Arizona

The Case No.: CV-17-00152-PHX-GMS

The Plaintiff: Sweet v. City of Mesa

The plaintiff in the case, Laney Sweet, is the widow of Daniel Shaver. Sweet filed a wrongful death lawsuit after her husband, Shaver, was shot and killed by the police when he was unarmed, standing outside his suburban hotel room in Arizona. The police officer involved in the shooting, former Mesa, Ariz., Police Officer Philip Brailsford, was charged with murder in the fatal 2016 shooting of the unarmed Shaver. However, the jury acquitted him of the murder charge. Sweet filed a lawsuit in 2017 against both parties seeking $75 million in damages. Last year, the city of Mesa settled a similar case with Shaver’s parents for an undisclosed amount.

The Defendant: Sweet v. City of Mesa

The City of Mesa police responded to a call in January 2016 stating that someone at the hotel was pointing a gun out a window. Once on the scene, the police ordered 26-year-old Shaver to exit his hotel room, lie face down in the hallway, and not make any sudden movements, or he could risk being shot. Former Officer Brailsford shot Shaver as he lay on the ground outside his hotel room. No gun was found on Shaver’s body, but two pellet rifles (related to his pest control job) were in his hotel room. The detective investigating the shooting of Shaver noted that while Shaver lay on the ground outside his room, the officers ordered him to crawl toward them. The detective concluded that while the movement Shaver made was similar to reaching for a pistol, it appeared that he was pulling up his loose-fitting basketball shorts that fell when he was ordered to crawl forward.

The Case: Sweet v. City of Mesa

A settlement notice was filed in Arizona’s federal court, showing that Laney Sweet and the couple’s two children will receive $8 million from the City of Mesa. The probate court approved the settlement’s terms and appointed a temporary conservator. All of Sweet’s legal claims are dismissed without prejudice in exchange for the settlement.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Judge Awards Petito Family $3M in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A year after their daughter's highly publicized death, Gabby Petito's family is awarded a $3 million settlement for their wrongful death lawsuit.

The Case: Petito v. Laundrie

The Court: Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, Sarasota County Florida

The Case No.: 2022 CA 1128 SC

The Plaintiff: Petito v. Laundrie

The plaintiffs in the case were the family of Gabby Petito. Following the death of their daughter, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Brian Laundrie's estate. The Petito family lost their daughter, and before the mystery surrounding her death was solved, her fiance, Brian Laundrie, committed suicide - leaving behind a notebook in which he confessed. Denied the opportunity to confront their daughter's killer, Gabby's family sought justice through the court system in the only way they knew how.

The Defendant: Petito v. Laundrie

The defendant in the case was Laundrie's estate. Laundrie was Gabby's fiance. At the time of her death, the two were on a cross-country road trip "out West" in a converted van that Gabby was documenting on social media.

The Case: Petito v. Laundrie

The final judgment from the 12th Judicial Circuit Court awarded the Petito family $3 million from Laundrie's estate. According to the media, the family filed a second lawsuit pending in Sarasota, claiming that Laundrie's parents concealed their son's confession before he returned home to Florida in September 2021 without Gabby. Separate from the wrongful death lawsuit against Laundrie's estate, the Petito family also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab City Police Department to demand accountability and seek change in the system. Shortly before Gabby's death, the police responded to a domestic violence call and interviewed Gabby and Brian. Gabby's body was later found in the Spread Creek Dispersed Area of the Bridger-Teton National Forest (September 19, 2021). Federal investigators confirmed it was Gabby Petito two days later, but the death was initially ruled a homicide, with Brian Laundrie noted as a person of interest. Laundrie went missing shortly after the search for Petito began. His body was later recovered in the Carlton Reserve. The FBI obtained his confession written in a notebook in October 2021. In the notebook, Laundrie confessed to the murder of Gabby Petito, his former fiance. It is suspected that Gabby Petito was a victim of long-term domestic violence and abuse. The family hopes to bring attention to the lack of response and proper police training that could have put a stop to this situation and avoided the fatal outcome.

If you have questions about how to file a California wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Ramos Family to Receive $2.8M Settlement to Resolve Wrongful Death Lawsuit

In recent news, the City of Vallejo settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the family of Angel Ramos. Vallejo police fatally shot Ramos in January 2017.

The Case: Evans v. City of Vallejo

The Court: U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California

The Case No.: 2:17-cv-01619-TLN-AC

The Plaintiff: Evans v. City of Vallejo

The plaintiff in the case is the family of Angel Ramos. Ramos was shot and killed by a Vallejo police officer during a family fight in January 2017. At the time, he was 21 years old. The Vallejo police officers stated that Ramos was holding a knife over another person on the ground, but the Ramos family claimed he did not have a knife.

The Defendant: Evans v. City of Vallejo

The City of Vallejo police responded to a call to the Ramos family’s Sacramento Street home in Vallejo on January 23, 2017, after receiving a call about a fight. Officer Zachary Jacobsen and his partner, Officer Matt Samida, responded to the scene. Jacobsen later said he saw two people fighting on the home’s second-story balcony before he saw Ramos run into the house, get on top of another man on the ground, and make stabbing motions. While the officers claim they fired in response to the perceived danger to the individual on the ground under Ramos, no knife was ever found in the area. Samida later testified that he only saw Ramos punching the man on the ground.

The Case: Evans v. City of Vallejo

The family’s case was bolstered when a federal judge denied the city’s motion for summary judgment in December 2021. Five years after the family filed the original wrongful death lawsuit, the City of Vallejo agreed to a $2.8 million settlement.

If you have questions about how to file a California employment law complaint, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

USC Player’s Widow Seeks a Minimum of $1.8M in California Wrongful Death Case

Alana Gee filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association on behalf of the Estate of Matthew Gee.

The Case: Gee v. NCAA

The Court: Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

The Case No.: 20 STCV 43627

The Plaintiff: Gee v. NCAA

The plaintiff in the case, Gee, alleges her decedent was a college football player who developed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy due to repeated blows to the head sustained during his time playing on the University of Southern California team. Gee filed a complaint for Negligence (Survival Action) and Negligence (Wrongful Death) in Nov. 2020.

The Defendant: Gee v. NCAA

The defendant in the case, NCAA, argued that the plaintiff’s negligence claim failed for four reasons.

1) the plaintiff didn’t establish a special relationship existed with Gee or with the coaching staff at the University of Southern California

2) the plaintiff can’t establish that the NCAA owed a duty to Gee

3) the doctrine of primary assumption of risk bars the claim

4) the plaintiff can’t establish that the NCAA caused Gee’s injuries.

The Case: Gee v. NCAA

The trial started in October 2022. The plaintiff’s legal counsel argued that the repeated head trauma Matthew Gee endured as a linebacker at the University of Southern California caused him to develop CTE — and that CTE ultimately led to his premature death at only 49 years old. The plaintiff in the case seeks a minimum of $1.8 million in damages from the NCAA for allegedly causing the death of Matthew Gee, a former linebacker for USC. Alana Gee, Matthew’s widow and the plaintiff in the case, also asked that the defendant, NCAA, return all the funds the organization earned due to its negligence. If Gee wins, the court could force the defendant to pay $100 million or more in addition to the $1.8 million in damages.

If you have questions about how to file a California traumatic brain injury lawsuit or wrongful death lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced wrongful death attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Case Results in $8.1M Settlement

In recent news, a woman who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury after being sideswiped at a stoplight by a negligent driver received an $8.1 million verdict.

The Case: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

The Court: Kern County Superior Court

The Case No.: BCV-19-101566-JEB

The Plaintiff: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

In 2017, the plaintiffs (two Rosamond, California residents) drove their Ford Flex in their local area. Another driver ran a red light and t-boned the plaintiff during a left-hand turn. In the time leading up to the trial, the plaintiff repeatedly requested that State Farm, the defendant's insurance carrier, pay the defendant's $100,000 policy limits. However, State Farm refused. After years of litigation, just two months before trial, State Farm offered just $30,000 to settle the mild traumatic brain injury case.

The Defendant: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

During litigation and throughout the trial, State Farm's attorneys attempted to minimize the severity of the incident, arguing that, at most, the plaintiff suffered a concussion that should have been resolved within months. Still, the jury also heard testimony from the plaintiff and physicians claiming that significant residual problems resulted from the car crash requiring substantial future medical treatment.

The Case: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

The car accident victim in the Bakersfield case first (and repeatedly) attempted to get State Farm to agree to pay out the defendant's $100,000 policy limits. When State Farm refused to do so throughout the years of litigation, the case went to trial. After hearing the case details and considering testimony defending both parties' arguments, the Bakersfield jury awarded the car accident victim $8.1 million for mild traumatic brain injury. The jury verdict includes $5,243,725.04 in future medical expenses, along with $250,000 in past non-economic losses, and $1,600,000 in future non-economic losses. It also includes $1 million in damages awarded to the car accident victim's husband.

If you have questions about how to file a California traumatic brain injury lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.