The Orange County Register
November 24, 1993
Jury holds city partly liable in youth's '88 traffic death
COURTS: Although the driver ran a stop sign, Irvine, will pay $200,000
to the 14 year-old's family.
By JONATHAN VOLZKE
The Orange County Register
A Santa Ana jury Tuesday decided the intersection of Michelson Drive and Yale
Avenue in Irvine is dangerous and awarded $576,800 to the family of a boy killed
by a car there in 1988.
But after three days of deliberations, the jury placed the bulk of the blame
on Pejman Brian Alaghamandan, who barrelled through a stop sign at 40 mph and
killed David Leidal, 14.
The city, sued along with Alaghamandan by Leidal's mother, Betty, will pay
about $200,000. Suzelle M. Smith, Betty Leidal's attorney, contended that the
city ignored residents' complaints that the intersection was dangerous before
the accident. She had sought a multimillion dollar award.
"I am personally delighted the jury recognized that the city of Irvine was
one of the causes of David Leidal's death," Smith said. "Candidly, I think the
verdict is low for the life of a 14-year-old with a promising future."
"How do you put a value on the life of a child?" said juror Wendy Ramsbottom.
29, of Laguna Niguel. "We had a lot of debate on that."
Alaghamandan, now 23, pleaded guilty to manslaughter after the accident. The
jury held him 72 percent responsible. hut his insurance policy maximum is
$I5,000, said Bill Haggerty, Alaghamandan's attorney.
While the remainder of the jury's decision could be entered against
Alaghamandan, Haggerty said that would only force his client into bankruptcy.
Haggerty, while admitting his client's responsibility, had argued in court
that Alaghamandan was a victim of the accident, too. Smith and Haggerty said
drivers were not provided with enough warning of the stop sign.
David Leidal, who was riding his bicycle to school, was held 3 percent
responsible and the city 22 percent.
While Smith said she hopes the decision will spur the City Council to install
safety devices, Rick Quinlivan, who represented the city, said he doubts such
steps will be taken.
"Eighty-three percent of the intersections in the city have accident rates
higher than this one," Quinlivan said. "I don't feel the city had any
responsibility at all."
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