municipal liability News

Utah Parents Sue Police, City Over Son’s Shooting Death

A West Valley City, Utah couple is suing police, claiming officers used excessive force in the 2010 shooting death of their son. Etta and Frank Chief filed the civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City this week. …

New York City Police Pay More in Liability Claims Than Hospitals

New York City paid nearly $521 million in personal injury and property damage claims in 2010 — marking the first time in 30 years the police department’s liabilities topped those of public hospitals, according to a city comptroller’s report issued …

Tennessee Jury Awards $200K in Sexual Bullying Case

Two mothers who claimed their sons were sexually bullied have won a lawsuit against the Wayne County, Tennessee schools and have been awarded $100,000 each. The women said the boys were humiliated in a locker room at Waynesboro Middle School …

Tennesseean Sues, Says Police Mistook Medical Condition for Drunkenness

A Lenoir City, Tenn., man has filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the Loudon County sheriff after he said he was mistakenly arrested when deputies mistook his cerebral palsy symptoms for drunkenness. According to the lawsuit filed last month in Loudon …

South Carolina Nixed Insurance for Train Victims Over Liability Fear

Legal advisers shut down a South Carolina fund proposed by Spartanburg County leaders and Gov. Nikki Haley’s office that would have paid medical bills for dozens of people hurt by a children’s train ride crash, according to a newspaper report. …

Jury Finds Rhode Island Not Liable in Newport Cliff Walk Fall

A Newport County Superior Court jury yesterday found the state of Rhode Island is not liable in the personal injury case of a man who became a quadriplegic after he fell from Newport’s famed Cliff Walk while on his honeymoon. …

Court Allows ‘Fat Slob’ Arrest Lawsuit Against Kentucky City

Calling a police officer a “fat slob” is not an offense that can usually get someone charged, a federal appeals court ruled recently, allowing a lawsuit over the arrest to go forward. Kenneth Kennedy’s sued the Kentucky city of Villa …

San Francisco Agency Looks to Settle Crash Claims for $1 Million

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will consider settling nearly $1 million in claims from 12 passengers injured in a July 2009 light-rail crash. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Muni’s board is expected to take up the claims this …