The fallout from the Christopher Dorner manhunt that had Southern California on edge earlier this year continues. A Redondo Beach man who was injured when police mistook his truck for the one believed to be driven by Dorner is suing the City of Torrance. The incident occurred during the search for the fired police officer who was wanted for killing police officers and their family members.
Torrance officials say they have set aside $250,000 in city funds to pay the plaintiff. That amount, according to his attorney, is woefully inadequate to compensate for the man’s physical and emotional injuries. The 38-year-old airline baggage handler says that he sustained a brain injury and spinal injuries during the incident. The father of two says that he has not been able to work since the incident, and is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the suit, police rammed the back of his truck, shot at him, dragged him out of the vehicle, and pushed him face down on the road. The district attorney’s office is investigating.
The plaintiff is seeking approximately $4 million in damages. That is the amount that the City of Los Angeles paid to settle a case with two other people who unwittingly got caught up in the manhunt. Their vehicle was shot approximately a hundred times by officers protecting a police official who had reportedly been threatened by Dorner. A 71-year-old woman in the vehicle was shot.
Los Angeles officials moved quickly in that and other cases where innocent people were injured during the chaotic manhunt, in an effort to minimize the public relations fallout of mistakes made by police who were anxious to prevent further killings. Torrance officials, however, are balking at the amount asked for by the Redondo Beach man. The city has brought in outside counsel to handle the suit.
This case exemplifies why it is essential that anyone who has been wrongfully injured retain a skilled brain injury attorney. This is particularly true for people going up against a corporate or government entity with the resources to successfully fight a lawsuit and try to minimize their payout.
Source: dailybreeze.com, “Torrance plans to allocate $250,000 to defend against Christopher Dorner-related lawsuit” Nick Green, Jul. 15, 2013