Attorneys Court Purdy and William Paoli of Paoli & Purdy, PC, represented the parents of a young boy who died after being hit by a vehicle while walking to school. They were able to secure a verdict of $60 million for their clients against the Town of Apple Valley. The boy, a high school freshman, was crossing an intersection at about 6:30 AM when it was pitch black. A vehicle traveling to his right struck the boy in the crosswalk. He did not survive the impact. The attorneys needed to prove that the city created a dangerous condition at that precise time and that this was a substantial factor in causing the accident and the subsequent death of the child. DK Global was contacted by Attorneys Purdy and Paoli to assist their clients in preparing for their depositions, capture the family’s emotions on film, and show how this tragedy could have been prevented.  

The factors that contributed to this incident were the absence of sufficient street lighting, insufficient signage, and the failure to reduce the speed limit to 25 MPH when children are present on a roadway adjacent to school grounds. It was well-known in the town that this was a treacherous area for children on their way to and from school and other, less severe, accidents had occurred previously. One of the difficulties of this case was that the town insisted the California Vehicle Code was not something to which they had to adhere. They were able to raise the speed limit instead of lowering it when children are present. DK Global created a presentation for Attorneys Purdy and Paoli using key documents, audio, video footage, and photos to demonstrate how the city should have made this intersection just as safe as they had at virtually every other school in the district. The presentation begins with establishing shots of the area where the incident occurred and documentation proving there is a legal obligation to provide a safe route to school and that the town rejected the school district’s repeated pleas to provide speed reductions. With the aid of witness accounts, the animation clearly illustrates how unsuitable this area was for any pedestrian traveling through the crosswalk at this dark time of day, and this proved that the victim was not in any way at fault. Using multiple scenarios in the presentation contrasted the young boy’s extremely unsafe route with the other schools that utilized appropriate safety measures. The video also showed just how much the death of this young boy had affected his family. Attorneys Purdy and Paoli worked tirelessly for their clients and were able to hold the city accountable for their son’s death.

Mr. Purdy is a partner in the law firm of Paoli & Purdy. He has extensive experience in the field of environmental law, specializing in cases involving exposure to mold, lead, asbestos, chemicals, or other toxins. He also practices in civil litigation, personal injury, wrongful death, trucking/motorcycle/bicycle accidents, products’ liability, premises liability (slip/trip falls), and toxic exposures. He has been a presenter at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, for Mealey’s, Lexis/Nexis, and a variety of other legal organizations on the topic of personal injury, trial and mold litigation.

William Paoli of Paoli & Purdy, PC has extensive experience in personal injury matters. Those who have been harmed or injured due to toxic exposure, environmental hazards, legal malpractice, or other civil rights violations can find comfort knowing that Mr. Paoli works tirelessly to ensure justice. He is currently a member of several organizations and associations. These include the State Bar of California, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, as well as the California Employment and Lawyers Association. He holds certification as a Civil Trial Advocacy Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.