23 Feb GRUENBERG KELLY DELLA WINS $1.5M SETTLEMENT IN WRONGFUL DEATH CASE AGAINST SUFFOLK COUNTY
Posted By Gruenberg Kelly Della || 23-Feb-2018
Attorneys Glenn Auletta and Michael L. Della of Gruenberg Kelly Della have successfully reached a settlement in the case of Teaisha Scales, who was killed in a car accident involving members of law enforcement in Mastic nearly 10 years ago.
At about 10 p.m. on March 12, 2008, Scales was riding in the passenger seat and her boyfriend, Michael Peacock, was driving, when a police cruiser saw them. The policemen involved, Officers Christopher Sanchez and Christopher Cummings, allegedly chased Peacock’s vehicle down, travelling at a pace significantly over the speed limit and doing so with their lights off.
According to Officer Cummings, he kept his lights off because he had not yet decided whether to pull Peacock and Scales over for a traffic violation.
It was then that the police cruiser struck the back of Peacock’s vehicle, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and collide with a utility pole. Scales survived the crash, but was paralyzed and sustained serious injuries to her heart, neck, and lungs. She died in the hospital 6 days later, leaving behind her mother, who is now 51, and a young son, who was 2 years old at the time of the accident.
“This case was about police having boundaries to follow,” said Gruenberg Kelly Della’s senior trial counsel, Glenn Aluetta.
“The boundaries were violated and, as a consequence, that’s how we got to this point in time. There was a settlement because of the fact that the county recognized that their police officers failed to do as they were trained, failed to follow procedures, and put people and lives at risk. That’s what happened here, and young Frankie lost his mother and Brenda lost her daughter.”
Nearly a decade has gone by since Scales’ unnecessary and tragic death. However, both officers have finally been found guilty of negligence and reckless behavior, and Suffolk County has agreed to pay a $1.5 million settlement to Scales’ mother and son.
Representing Surviving Family Members in Wrongful Death Cases for Over 50 Years
This is not the first positive outcome our firm has achieved. Over the years, we have achieve multiple million-dollar settlements for clients and helped them hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence. We are diligent, skilled in court, and are prepared to go up against any party who has caused wrongful death or injury. Our legal team is not only aggressive and highly skilled—we are compassionate and understand that no settlement will ever be enough to replace your loved one.
However, we know that wrongful death creates significant expenses and financial burdens for families, and we are here to help you work toward a settlement that can alleviate as much suffering as possible.
At Gruenberg Kelly Della, we believe in sticking up for people who suffer unfairly or who are harmed by other people’s reckless behavior. Wrongful death and suffering can occur in a variety of ways, and we believe all of them deserve fair consideration. No matter the cause of your loved one’s untimely and unfair death, we are prepared to roll up our sleeves are serve you in any way we can.
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