Recovering an accurate figure on the number of lives that are lost each year by police officers’ actions is difficult; while the FBI tracks the number of officers’ lives lost in duty, there is not a comparable tally taken of people killed by the police. That being said, it is estimated that in a time frame spanning from August 2014 to April of 2015, 1,000 people more died at the hands of the police, according to The New York Times.
This large figure is of concern, and it also generates a unique legal issue for the surviving family members of those who lose their lives due to police actions – is it possible to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the police to recover compensation? The answer is yes, and in fact, the City of Chicago recently settled two wrongful death lawsuits against it; the first was for the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager – Cedrick Chatman – by a white police officer, and the second for the shooting of Darius Pinux, who was killed by two police officers in 2011 during a traffic stop.
Families Settle with City of Chicago
The lawsuits of both families – Chatman’s family and Pinux’s family – essentially alleged the same thing: that the police officers involved acted with misconduct, and unnecessarily used deadly force against victims, resulting in their death. While both settlement amounts were undisclosed, an article in ABC News states that these settlements are the latest in a series of police misconduct cases against Chicago, resulting in a cumulative payout of more than $500 million over the past 10 years. Attorney Brian Coffman was quoted by ABC News as saying, “This will be another expensive lesson for the city. If they don’t change how they do things, well, there’s a bigger social issue that needs to be discussed.”
The offices of Mary Ann Covone, P.C. Attorney at Law offers its sympathy for the victims’ families.
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Filing a wrongful death lawsuit is a complicated enough process, made only more so when filing against a city or other government entity. This is because cities retain sovereign immunity rights in some cases, as well as the fact that a notice of claim is typically required in advance (which is not the case when filing a lawsuit against an individual or business). Further, if you fail to file your wrongful death lawsuit within the statute of limitations, you will miss your opportunity to recover damages.
Of course, big cities also have big lawyers working for them – as such, gathering the right evidence, building a strong claim, and proving negligence will be both more difficult and more important to do.
A Chicago Wrongful Death Attorney Working for You
At Mary Ann Covone, P.C., Attorney at Law, we hope that you never are placed in a situation where you need to file a wrongful death claim against the city. If you do lose a loved one, however, we hope that you will call us first. Our experienced Chicago wrongful death lawyer is passionate about helping clients seek the justice that they deserve, and will advocate for you. Contact us today at 708-246-9411.