LA County Fire Dept. Disability Discrimination Case Settled

Case Background

This landmark civil rights and wrongful death action stemmed from a tragic confrontation that resulted in the death of Melyda Corado on July 21, 2018, in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The decedent’s father, Salvador Albert Corado, acting individually and as a successor-in-interest, and her brother, Albert J. Corado, filed the suit against the City of Los Angeles and two Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers, Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans, among others. The Plaintiffs claimed the officers’ actions during a pursuit and subsequent shooting were unlawful and had directly caused Melyda Corado’s fatal injury. The city and its officers had faced immediate public scrutiny after the incident, which reportedly involved the officers shooting at a suspect and inadvertently striking Ms. Corado, who was inside a Trader Joe’s market.

Cause

The lawsuit established its legal foundation on multiple counts arising from the actions of the LAPD officers.

Federal Civil Rights Violations (42 U.S.C. § 1983)

The Plaintiffs charged the officers with violating Melyda Corado’s constitutional rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. They claimed the use of deadly force against the fleeing suspect was excessive and that the officers acted with deliberate indifference to the safety of the public, which had proximately resulted in Ms. Corado's death. The complaint specifically accused the officers of an unreasonable seizure, asserting the shooting itself represented an extreme use of force without legal justification or necessity.

Wrongful Death and Negligence

The Corado family also pursued state-law claims, asserting wrongful death against all Defendants. The officers, while acting within the scope of their employment, had supposedly failed to exercise reasonable care when they initiated the high-risk shooting, exhibiting negligence that directly led to Ms. Corado’s death. The complaint sought to hold the City of Los Angeles vicariously liable for the officers' negligent and intentional acts, including assault and battery.

Municipal Liability (Monell)

Plaintiffs furthermore levied a direct claim against the City of Los Angeles, alleging a pattern of institutional failures. They maintained that the City had a custom or policy of inadequate training, supervision, and discipline regarding the use of deadly force and high-speed pursuits. This systemic failure, they argued, demonstrated a deliberate indifference to the civil rights of its citizens, which had ratified and perpetuated the unconstitutional behavior exhibited by Officers Tse and Winans.

Injury

As a direct result of the Defendants’ actions and omissions described in the complaint, Melyda Corado suffered severe bodily injury and death on July 21, 2018. The injury, resulting from the gunshot wound, was fatal.

Damages Sought

The Plaintiffs sought judgment against all Defendants for a vast range of damages.

The family pursued General Damages for the loss of love, affection, comfort, society, companionship, solace, and moral support they had experienced due to Melyda Corado’s untimely death. They also demanded Special Damages, which included the recovery of burial and funeral expenses, and the loss of financial support and future earnings that Melyda Corado would have provided to the family had she survived. Finally, the complaint sought punitive and exemplary damages against the individual officers, arguing their conduct had been malicious, oppressive, and willful, justifying an additional award intended to punish the officers and deter future similar conduct.

Key Arguments and Proceedings

The lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, followed extensive media coverage and public outcry over the circumstances of Melyda Corado’s death. The legal proceedings involved comprehensive discovery, including the exchange of evidence like body camera footage, internal LAPD reports, and witness statements.

Legal Representation

Plaintiff(s): Salvador Albert Corado, individually, | Successor-in-Interest to Melyda Corado; | Albert J. Corado, an individual

·       Counsel for Plaintiff(s): John C. Taylor | Louanne Masry | Ronald D. Rosengarten | Stuart B. Esner | Neil K. Gehlawat

·       Experts for Plaintiff(s): Jeffrey Noble

Defendant(s): City of Los Angeles | Sinlen Tse | Sarah Winans | Does 1-100

·       Counsel for Defendant(s): Christian R. Bojorquez | Young Rebekah Webb | Michael N. Feuer | Thomas H. Peters | Cory M. Brente

·       Experts for Defendant(s): Edward Flosi | Brady Held

Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel

Claims

Plaintiffs’ counsel forcefully argued that the officers’ decision to fire their weapons in a public, densely populated area constituted gross negligence and a clear violation of established police protocol. They maintained that the officers had disregarded the extreme risk of striking an innocent bystander, which was an essential element of the Monell claim against the City. They asserted that the officers’ actions represented a callous indifference to the value of human life.

Defense

The defense, representing the City and the officers, adamantly denied the allegations. In their formal response, the Defendants lodged a general denial of the complaint’s core claims and asserted numerous affirmative defenses. These defenses typically included claims that the officers had acted reasonably and in self-defense, or in defense of others, and that their actions had been justified under the circumstances of an ongoing violent felony. They further claimed that the City and the officers possessed legal immunity from liability and that the Plaintiffs had failed to mitigate their alleged damages.

Settlement

The complex and high-stakes nature of the case, combined with the presence of compelling evidence, including body-worn camera footage of the incident, propelled the parties toward a pre-trial resolution. After nearly six years of intense litigation and substantial legal wrangling, the City of Los Angeles and the Corado family reached a comprehensive settlement agreement.

The City of Los Angeles formally agreed to pay the Corado family $9,500,000 (Nine Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) to resolve all claims lodged in the lawsuit. The Plaintiffs formally notified the Court of the settlement of the entire case on May 3, 2024, culminating the legal battle over Melyda Corado’s death. This substantial payout indicated the significant liability the City faced had the case proceeded to a jury trial, providing the Corado family with financial compensation for the severe emotional and economic losses they had sustained since the 2018 shooting. The resolution effectively closed the civil litigation chapter for the Corado family, allowing them to dismiss their claims against all Defendants.

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