California Supreme Court Rejects Effort To Open Up Police To Lawsuits Over Chases
SAN FRANCISCO (CBSLA/AP) -- The California Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit that could have made it easier to hold police liable for crashes during pursuits.
The court ruled unanimously on Monday that law enforcement agencies in the state are protected from lawsuits in those cases even if every officer has not attested to having read the agency's pursuit policy.
The ruling came in a lawsuit against the Southern California city of Gardena by Irma Ramirez, whose son was killed in 2015 after an officer bumped his pickup truck during a chase. At issue in the case was a state law that gives police broad protection from liability during pursuits.
State vehicle code gives immunity to public agencies that employ peace officers from damages stemming from to chase-related collisions, but only on the grounds that officers "have received, read and understand the policy".
Ramirez's attorney, Abdalla Innabi, said the decision makes people less safe.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)