$15M Settlement in Los Alamitos School Negligence Case

Case Background

A lawsuit against the Los Alamitos Unified School District and an individual Defendant, Bharathiraja Natarajan, concluded with a confidential settlement rather than a jury verdict. Allison Balos, a minor represented by her Guardian ad Litem, Samuel Balos, originally filed the civil complaint on June 23, 2022, in the Superior Court of California, County of Orange. The case revolved around allegations of negligence and the harm the young Plaintiff sustained while under the Defendants’ care or supervision. The parties reached a final agreement, and the Court received the formal Notice of Settlement on March 19, 2025, bringing the litigation to a close before a jury rendered a decision.

Cause

The central claim of the lawsuit was negligence. The Plaintiff’s legal team asserted that the Defendants, including the School District and Mr. Natarajan, failed in their duty to exercise reasonable care, which directly resulted in Allison Balos's injuries. The complaint claimed that the Defendants' negligence created an unsafe situation or environment where the young Plaintiff suffered harm that should have been preventable. The legal action sought to hold the public entity and the individual responsible for the consequences of their alleged lapse in standard care and diligence toward the minor.

Injury

The complaint detailed a serious range of lasting effects and injuries Allison Balos suffered. These included not only specific physical injuries but also profound psychological and emotional harm. The filing specifically listed physical injuries, psychological injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and pain. Furthermore, the Plaintiff alleged that the injuries interfered significantly with her daily life, including recreational, educational, and vocational activities, indicating a major disruption to her normal development and routine.

Damages Sought

The Plaintiff’s attorneys requested that the Court award damages in amounts determined by the evidence presented during the proceedings. The monetary relief sought included both general and special damages. General damages covered the intangible losses, such as past and future pain and suffering, while special damages encompassed the tangible financial losses. These included compensation for past and future medical care, loss of earnings, and impairment of future earning capacity. The Plaintiff ultimately prayed for judgment against the Defendants for these losses, along with interest and costs of the suit.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

The formal legal proceedings commenced with the Plaintiff filing the comprehensive Complaint for Damages. The Defendants, the Los Alamitos Unified School District and Bharathiraja Natarajan, responded to the allegations by filing their answers to the complaint. Both Defendants issued a general denial of the Plaintiff's claims, challenging the assertion that their actions caused the alleged injuries.

Legal Representation

Plaintiff(s): Allison Balos, a minor by and through her Guardian Ad Litem, Samuel Balos.

Counsel for Plaintiff(s): Rahul Ravipudi, Esq. | Ian P. Samson, Esq. | Srinivas Hanumadass Esq.

Defendant(s): Los Alamitos Unified School District | Bharathiraja Natarajan | Does 1 through 50.

Counsel for Defendant(s): Stephanie M. Tran, Esq. | Dana John McCune | Michael Diaz, Esq.

Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel

Claims

The attorneys representing Allison Balos asserted that the Defendants, possessing a duty of care over the young Plaintiff, had demonstrably violated that duty. Their claims centered on the principle of negligence, arguing that a foreseeable injury occurred because the Defendants failed to act as a reasonably careful person or entity would have under the circumstances. They maintained that the Defendants’ negligent conduct was a direct and proximate cause of the significant, life-altering injuries and resulting psychological distress the minor suffered.

Defense

The defense teams for the School District and Mr. Natarajan filed answers that broadly denied all of the Plaintiff's allegations. Their strategy involved multiple affirmative defenses designed to shift or negate fault. The defense asserted that the Plaintiff's claims lacked legal validity and that the Defendants had exercised all necessary care and caution. They contended that any injury the Plaintiff sustained had resulted from causes entirely unrelated to their conduct. The defense specifically argued that the incident was caused by factors beyond their control or that the Plaintiff herself, or a third party, had contributed to the injury through their own negligence.

Resolution: Notice of Settlement

Rather than proceeding through the final stages of a lengthy trial and awaiting a potential jury decision, the parties in Balos v. Los Alamitos Unified School District, et al. reached a comprehensive agreement. On March 19, 2025, the Plaintiff’s counsel filed a Notice of Settlement with the Orange County Superior Court, formally notifying the Court that the entire case had been resolved. This action terminated the need for further legal proceedings, including a formal jury verdict or judicial ruling. The settlement amount was reported to be $15,045,000, signifying that all involved parties had agreed upon a mutually acceptable resolution to the claims against the School District and the individual Defendant.

Court documents are available upon request at jurimatic@exlitem.com