Did San Diego Jailers Cause His Death?

Posted By The Law Offices of Eugene G. Bruno, P.C. Posted in: Wrongful Death.

10-November-2018

Parents of a 39-year-old who died while in the custody of the county sheriff’s department are suing multiple people and organizations, including San Diego city and county governments and Sheriff William Gore.

Paul Silva died in March. His death came weeks after San Diego Central Jail officers confronted him with a stun gun and pepper-spray. His family’s lawsuit says that he was pressed to death, suffering a collapsed lung, multiple contusions, and puncture wounds.

Paul Silva was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young adult. His mother tried to get him help from the SDPD’s Psychiatric Emergency Response Team, but that the sheriff arrested him instead, leading to the events of his death.

While this case is working its way through the courts, at the Law Offices of Eugene G. Bruno, we know that this is one of the many ways that wrongful death cases arise.

If you need a San Diego wrongful death attorney, you can count on us to investigate your case and work to get a resolution.

What Can Happen?

Wrongful death cases arise whenever another person or an entity (company, government agency, etc.) intentionally or unintentionally (due to negligence or carelessness) causes the death of someone else.

There are many ways in which these cases arise, but we want to look at a few.

Workplace accidents can become wrongful death cases if a company did not provide appropriate safety gear or training. They can also be held liable if their actions directly or indirectly caused the death. This can include forcing the person to work long hours or in unsafe conditions.

Law enforcement encounters can become unnecessarily deadly if the officers involved are not properly trained in use of force or de-escalation techniques. Over the last few years, we have seen many cases in which officers shoot unarmed civilians. There have also been many cases in which the mentally ill are harmed and killed due to a lack of officer training.

Medical mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the US, killing an estimated 250,000 people annually. Healthcare professionals should be held accountable when their actions cause a person’s death.

Vehicle accidents involving careless drivers are often criminal and civil cases. Drunk and distracted drivers who cause a death should be held accountable for their actions.

Your Options Moving Forward

Those are only a few of the many ways in which wrongful death cases arise. For more understanding of your individual case, please seek qualified legal assistance.

If you are here today because you lost a loved one due to the negligence of someone else, we want to make sure that you get the help you need. At the Law Offices of Eugene G. Bruno, we know that you will have many questions in the aftermath of a major incident like this. We want to help you find the answers you need.

We will work to secure compensation, including: