HUNTINGTON BEACH : Auto Crash Victim Awarded $10 Million
The family of a 27-year-old Huntington Beach woman left semicomatose by a car accident three years ago has won a $10-million judgment to help pay for her medical care.
A Superior Court jury in Long Beach, where the accident happened, decided Monday that the city must pay for the past and future care of Cindy Tomlinson, 27, a former preschool teacher.
Tomlinson was a passenger in a car that was hit head-on by a crime suspect fleeing Long Beach police officers on Feb. 19, 1992.
Her family, which filed the lawsuit against the city of Long Beach, expressed relief Tuesday. But her mother, Donna Tomlinson, said that “no amount will ever change what has happened to Cindy.” The jury’s verdict “will give us the money for the additional professional care that Cindy deserves,” said Tomlinson, who has been caring for her daughter at home since the accident. “Right now, that’s what it’s all about: getting the care she needs.”
Donna Tomlinson said she spends nearly 90 hours a week with her daughter, who must have 24-hour care. Community donations and fund-raisers have helped the family hire nurses and specialists, she said.
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