Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed After Officer Dies at Mobile Shooting Range

A grieving family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Inveris Training Solutions, the mobile range manufacturer in which the decedent lost his life. According to their lawsuit, on October 10, 2023, the decedent was inside a mobile shooting range trailer parked near the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, California, undergoing a mandatory firearms recertification exercise. During the exercise, a fire and explosion occurred within the 53-foot shooting range, allegedly due to an accumulation of unburned gunpowder residue, lead particles, propellants, and other combustible materials. As a result of the explosion, the Deputy sustained severe, third-degree burns across the majority of his body and remained hospitalized for nearly six months. Ultimately, he passed away from his injuries on April 20, 2024. Another deputy was seriously injured in the same incident.

According to the lawsuit, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department failed to comply with California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) orders and with the manufacturer’s guidance to inspect, clean, and maintain the mobile ranges, creating a dangerous condition that was inevitable. The lawsuit contends that they allowed a buildup of flammable, hazardous materials over time in the trailer. The case also makes reference to multiple prior fires in mobile ranges over the past decade. These incidents should have alerted the Department to the dangers of insufficient cleaning and maintenance.

Legal claims and relief

The claims against the LASD and Inveris include:

• Wrongful death due to negligence by LASD in maintaining the mobile shooting range.
• Product liability against Inveris Training Solutions, alleging that the mobile range trailer was designed defectively. The plaintiffs make note that the trailer lacked proper ventilation and safety measures to avoid the buildup of combustible materials.

The plaintiffs are suing for both compensatory and punitive damages. They are also petitioning the court for injunctive relief to halt the use of mobile gun ranges until safety improvements are made.

Analyzing the defense

In this case, the defendants will likely try to lay the blame on each other for the tragic death. LASD will blame Inveris for failing to warn them about known dangers related to mobile gun ranges, while Inveris will blame the LASD for failing to maintain the gun range as expected. It’s not a terrible position to be in if you’re a plaintiff. In many personal injury lawsuits, the defendant attempts to blame the victim for their injuries. In this case, the defendants will likely be blaming each other.

This case, Flores v. LASD & Inveris, is a very serious wrongful death case that stems from a dangerous training environment.

Talk to an Oakland, CA, Wrongful Death Lawyer Today

Venardi Zurada represents the interests of grieving families in wrongful death lawsuits filed against negligent defendants. Call our Oakland personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your claims right away.

Source:

apnews.com/article/sheriff-deputy-wrongful-death-los-angeles-california-d197f525a6dde9679628521272ddd5bd