Family of Girl Killed in Helicopter Crash Files Claim for $22.5 Million
The family of an 11-year-old girl who was killed in a rescue helicopter crash filed wrongful death claims against the city of Los Angeles on Wednesday, alleging negligence that contributed to a car crash.
Norma Vides and other members of her Sun Valley family were injured when a car struck a city trash truck in Shadow Hills the morning of March 23. A Fire Department rescue helicopter was called to take the injured girl to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles but crashed in Griffith Park, killing Vides and three of five crew members.
In the claim, family attorney Gregory Moreno blames the initial car crash on “negligent design and construction of the roadway and related infrastructure.”
The city “created and maintained a dangerous condition” at the Sunland Boulevard and Wheatland Avenue crash site, the claim says, by failing to provide shoulders, berms or parking lanes.
The family is seeking a total of $22.5 million.
A spokesman for the city was unavailable for immediate comment. According to California law, a city government cannot be sued until a claim has been filed, which gives the city a chance to settle the dispute.
Moreno says he plans to sue the helicopter’s manufacturer later.
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