damages News

4 Washington Students Hurt in Bus Crash Awarded $1.4M

A jury has awarded four former marching band students at the University of Washington more than $1.4 million after they were injured in a bus crash on their way to a football competition with rival Washington State University. Students Alexia …

California County Agrees to Pay $3.5M in 2018 Jail Death Case

San Diego County will pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the family of a mentally ill man who died after deputies tried to forcefully remove him from a jail holding cell, a newspaper reported. The Union-Tribune said …

California’s PG&E Sees Criminal Charges in 2019 Wildfire

A California prosecutor has filed 33 criminal charges accusing troubled Pacific Gas & Electric of inadvertently injuring six firefighters and endangering public health with smoke and ash in a 2019 fire blamed on its equipment. The nation’s largest utility denied …

California Court Rules That Sports Organizations Must Protect Athletes

Sports governing organizations such as those for swimming and gymnastics have a duty to protect young athletes from sexual and other abuse and can be legally liable if they don’t, the California Supreme Court has ruled. In a case involving …

Inmate Sues Over Riot in Hawaii That Injured Him

An inmate who was injured in a Maui jail riot is suing the Hawaii Department of Public Safety. Kevin Lifoifoi’s lawsuit alleges the department failed to keep prisoners safe in an overcrowded jail, The Maui News reported. Lifoifoi suffered a …

Mother of Black Student Seeking Damages Against California School for Racist Rant

The mother of a Black 12-year-old boy is seeking damages against a Southern California school district after her son’s teacher went on a half-hour tirade laced with racism and profanity. Katura Stokes filed a damage claim, typically a precursor to …

Lawmakers from California Want U.S. Departments to Be Year-Round Wildfire Agencies

California’s U.S. senators and nearly two-dozen representatives are asking the Agriculture and Interior departments to transition their agencies to a year-round wildland workforce because blazes are no longer limited to traditional fire seasons. The move would require reclassifying more seasonal …

Hawaii Teen Gets $150K Settlement for Arrest by Classmate’s Dad

The Honolulu City Council has approved a $150,000 settlement in a lawsuit that accused a police officer of improperly arresting a boy who had a personal dispute with his son. The family’s federal lawsuit alleged that Officer Kirk Uemura had …

Washington School District Agrees to $4.25M Sex Assault Settlement

A suburban Seattle, Wash., school district this week agreed to pay $4.25 million to settle a lawsuit that accuses a former middle school teacher of sexually assaulting his student for nearly a decade. According to the lawsuit, drama teacher Richard …

New Mexico Court Upheld Damages Cap in Medical Malpractice

New Mexico’s highest court has ruled that monetary limits on some types of damages due to medical malpractice are not unconstitutional. The New Mexico Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the Medical Malpractice Act, which maintains non-medical and non-punitive damages …