After a year of contentious litigation, attorneys for Stephen and Richard Paper, two elderly brothers severely injured in a collision with a speeding LAPD vehicle, secured an $18,000,000 settlement from the City of Los Angeles. The settlement, approved by the City Council in a 10-3 vote and signed by Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, was reached on the seventh day of a 14-day trial and will be paid over three years. The City Council’s approval also requested that the City Attorney draft a letter of apology from the LAPD as part of the settlement. Plaintiffs were represented in the case and at trial by Robert Glassman, Tom Schultz, Jon Davidi, and Joe O'Hanlon of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP.

"From the beginning of this case and continuing through trial, the City denied responsibility for the actions of its officer and shifted blame to Stephen and Richard Paper, all the while minimizing their injuries and the damages they suffered as a result of the collision," said Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP partner, Robert Glassman. "When the evidence was presented at trial and the truth became inescapable, the City raised the white flag. The settlement will not make our clients whole, but it will enable them to get the treatment they need so they can move forward with their lives."

On the evening of June 4, 2024, on-duty LAPD officer Jason Stevenson accelerated his vehicle to 80 miles per hour—well above the posted speed limit—without activating his lights or sirens and crashed into the vehicle occupied by Stephen and Richard Paper. Both brothers suffered severe injuries, including skull and facial fractures, brain bleeds, and numerous spinal and body fractures requiring multiple surgeries and intensive rehabilitation. An investigation by the LAPD’s Multi-Disciplinary Collision Investigation Team concluded that Officer Stevenson was solely responsible for the collision. Nevertheless, the defendants denied liability before trial and disputed the extent of damages suffered by the injured plaintiffs.

The collision, and the aftermath that followed, were captured on video.

At trial, an attorney for the City of Los Angeles told the jury during opening statements that Stephen Paper was responsible for the collision because he allegedly made an unsafe left turn and further sought to minimize the Paper brothers’ damages by emphasizing that they were in their 70s and lived in rural Minnesota. In contrast, Plaintiffs’ witnesses testified that the LAPD officer was solely at fault and the Paper brothers will suffer lifelong injuries as a result of the crash.

The City of Los Angeles was represented in the case and at trial by Justin Sanders and Robert Dixon of Sanders Roberts LLP.

Paper v. City of Los Angeles

Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles | Northwest District

Case No. 24VECV03899

Hon. Valerie Salkin

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Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP is a nationally recognized law firm representing plaintiffs in wrongful death, catastrophic injury, sexual abuse/assault, product liability, mass torts, and business litigation cases. With offices in California, Nevada, and Arizona, Firm attorneys have dedicated themselves to obtaining justice for clients who are often dealing with a life-altering injury, death of a family member, or other challenges caused by the wrongful act of another together. With this mission at the heart of its work, the Firm has obtained some of the most significant verdicts and settlements for plaintiffs in U.S. history. Learn more about Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and our work on behalf of our clients at panish.law

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"When the evidence was presented at trial and the truth became inescapable, the City raised the white flag. The settlement will not make our clients whole, but it will enable them to get the treatment they need so they can move forward with their lives."