We all have heard that accidents can happen anywhere and at anytime. This statement is literally true as one California family learned this past year when they lost their husband and father on May 26, 2011 in a motorcycle accident. Now, approximately 10 months later, the widow and her two sons have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.
When the accident occurred, the 44-year-old victim had been working as an on-duty police officer. He was riding his motorcycle in a funeral procession with other officers on Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance, California. One of the other officers collided with the victim causing his death.
According to the lawsuit, the officer who caused the accident was “unfit” for his job. Not only was the claim made that the officer was unfit, but that he was inadequately trained and supervised by El Segundo police officials. The lawsuit also claims that the Manhattan Beach officials who planned the procession did not properly and adequately do so.
The widow first took action by filing claims with the two beach cities involved in the hiring of the officers and the planning of the funeral procession where the death occurred.
The death of a family member not only causes emotional pain such as the loss of love, affection, companionship and support, but also financial pain such as loss of the primary income and funeral costs. It is damages such as these that are being sought in the California lawsuit in the amount of $25 million.
Source: Daily Breeze, “Widow files lawsuit in motorcycle death of Hawthorne officer Andrew Garton,” Kristin S. Agostoni and Larry Altman, March 21, 2012
