LAPD Vehicle Crash Settles for $15.25M with Disabled Man
Table of Contents
Case Background
Rogelio Hernandez filed a personal injury lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and LAPD Detective Natalie Plascencia following a severe motor vehicle accident. The case, filed in June 2022, stemmed from an incident in which a vehicle driven by Detective Plascencia struck Hernandez as he was crossing the street in his wheelchair. The collision left Hernandez with multiple complex fractures and necessitated a lengthy hospitalization. The lawsuit asserted that Detective Plascencia was acting in the course of her employment when the crash occurred, making the City and the LAPD legally responsible for her actions. After over two years of litigation, the parties reached a substantial settlement.
Cause
Hernandez's lawsuit centered on a single, powerful cause of action: General Negligence.
The Complaint alleged that Detective Plascencia failed to operate her heavy GMC Terrain SUV safely and carefully. Hernandez’s legal team claimed she carelessly and negligently crashed into his wheelchair as he lawfully crossed the street in a designated crosswalk. This failure to exercise reasonable care directly caused the accident and Hernandez's catastrophic injuries. By naming both Detective Plascencia and the City, the lawsuit established that the City carried vicarious liability for the negligence of its employee, who was acting within the scope of her official duties as an LAPD Detective at the time of the collision.
Injury
The collision inflicted a devastating array of injuries on Rogelio Hernandez.
He suffered multiple bone fractures, specifically an olecranon fracture, an acetabular fracture, and a tibia fracture. The for
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