subject: Can Colleges Be Sued For Misrepresenting Safety? [print this page] Here are development in two wrongful death cases involving public universities and students. One is out of California and the other from Florida. Coast-to-coast, colleges and universities are being sued for failing to keep students safe.
Can a college be held liable for the deaths of two students in an urban oasis?
Thats the question in California after a lawsuit that alleges misrepresentation and negligence by the USC.
A wrongful death suit was filed by the parents of two Chinese graduate students shot to death while they were sitting in a parked car outside the home of one of the victims.
The lawsuit alleges that USC misrepresented on its website the security of the Los Angeles neighborhood surrounding its campus and the level of the security provided there by the university.
The suit says the website described the neighborhood around USC as "an urban oasis of courtyards and parks." The word "urban," has a connotation of safety in China, the complaint states.
An attorney for USC says the lawsuit is baseless.
Now, to the University of Central Florida, which is appealing a judgment giving $10 million to the family of Ereck Plancher.
The family claimed UCF was negligent for Erecks death because they knew he carried the sickle cell disease trait but allowed him to participate in off-season conditioning drills when he died in March 2008.
UCFs appeal claims the trial was unfair. The universitys athletic association says the judge ruled erroneously and that the school's athletic association should be considered a sovereign entity. That would mean the $10-million judgment would be reduced and capped at a mere fraction of court's ruling.
Certainly, Of course, these are complex cases that require the expertise of knowledgeable attorneys. At Parrish Law, we are experts in litigating wrongful death cases and can answer questions families may have following a tragic loss.
To learn more about what we might do for you, a friend or relative, call us for a no charge consultation at (405) 232-1985. See our website too at http://www.parrishlawokc.com. The website is filled with lots of information that may prove helpful.
