FAMILY WINS MILLIONS IN LAWSUIT AGAINST COUNTY FOR WRONGFUL DEATH—CALL PALMDALE PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS NOW
Although lawsuits can be filed against anyone and any entity, it does not mean that the lawsuit will be successful. The lawsuit may be dismissed based on a variety of reasons, including immunity that the person being sued might have. Emergency personnel have a special type of immunity against civil lawsuits and personal injury claims in certain cases. This immunity is set in place to ensure that emergency work can be done quickly and efficiently. For example, if a firefighter is pulling a person out of a burning building and accidently breaks her arm in the process, she would likely not be successful in a lawsuit against the city for her broken arm. If emergency workers had to worry about personal injury lawsuits while they rescued people, then they would be ineffective in their jobs.
However, there are certain cases in which emergency personnel are not immune to these lawsuits, especially when they act recklessly or beyond the scope of their employment. In Illinois on September 14, 2009, the Bachman family settled a lawsuit for $15.5 million against Winnebago County for the death of their two children and injury of a third child after a car accident in 2006. The incident occurred when Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Boomer broadsided the Bachmans’ car in an intersection. Boomer was responding to an emergency call and was driving at speeds of over 100 miles per hour without his lights and sirens on when he struck the Bachmans’ car. Boomer was tried for criminal charges of reckless homicide and aggravated reckless driving, but was acquitted of the charges.
There is a Bachman Law passing through the state legislature to enforce the use of lights and sirens on emergency vehicles while speeding. It was a tragic loss for the family, and although the settlement will go to the future care of their disabled daughter, it still does not change what happened to their children. The Rudman Law Firm, PLC has collected over $150 million in verdicts and settlements for people injured because of the negligence of others. Give us a call now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for your free and confidential consultation. You can also check out our website, www.alawpro.com to read more about car accidents and wrongful death lawsuits.
