The family of a girl who was struck by a car in a crosswalk and suffered “catastrophic” injuries while walking to an elementary school in Anaheim for a free breakfast has reached a $15.93 million settlement with the city and two other defendants, the plaintiff’s attorney announced.
The girl is “unable to walk, speak, eat or care for herself,” an attorney said.
The girl, then-11-year-old Paulina Perez, was walking on Sept. 17, 2014, to Juliette Low Elementary School and was struck nearby at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Monterey Street, according to the family’s attorney, Mark P. Robinson Jr., senior partner at the Newport Beach law firm Robinson Calcagnie, Inc.
Perez was on her way at 7:08 a.m. to participate in a free breakfast program offered by the school and was crossing Lincoln Avenue in a crosswalk when she was hit by car and suffered “catastrophic” injuries that have left her “unable to walk, speak, eat or care for herself,” Robinson said Friday.
The lawsuit alleged that no crossing guard was on duty at the time and even though the free breakfast program was open to students at 7 a.m., the crossing guard assigned to the intersection was not scheduled to begin assisting students until 7:15 a.m.
According to Robinson, the city’s policy was to schedule crossing guards based on the starting time of classes instead when the school was first opened to students.
The settlement was reached on Tuesday.
“We hope this settlement is a catalyst for change in the way that all cities in this country address dangerous lapses in public safety,” Robinson said.
The settlement will help provide the girl with desperately needed future medical and life care, which she will require for the rest of her life, Robinson said.
“Paulina is a wonderful person,” Robinson said. “She has a smile that warms the heart of everyone that she meets. With the improved quality of life and physical and emotional care, we hope that Paulina can find some measure of permanent happiness.”
The other defendants in the case were the private crossing guard company All City Management and the Magnolia School District.
Attorneys representing the city did not immediately respond to an email sent from City News Service.
— City News Service