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In a case led by Attorney Roger Dreyer, Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP has secured a $24.2 million judgment for the family of a woman who was fatally struck by a damaged tree in Slide Hill Park. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed against the City of Davis for failing to perform any tree inspections and maintenance in decades.
Jennifer Comey was in Slide Hill Park on a windy day in February 2021 and watching her 3-year-old daughter play when a branch came loose from an old tree, landing on her. She passed away at UC Davis Medical Center. Ted Pitts, Jennifer’s surviving husband, came to our firm for legal counsel to try to seek justice for his late wife.
Our legal team’s investigation uncovered that the City of Davis never arranged for someone from Urban Forestry to inspect the trees in the park. Given that the park was founded in the ‘70s and the tree was planted then, 50-some years of no inspection and maintenance from a landscaper or licensed arborist is practically unheard of. We argued that the city was negligent in its upkeep of the park and should be held liable for Jennifer’s death and the damages caused by it.
The City tried to pass the blame onto Davey Resource Group (DRG), a tree company that was hired in 2018 to take inventory of the trees in the park, but a jury didn’t accept the argument, citing that DRG was not hired to do a full risk assessment. Indeed, Attorney Dreyer showed during the trial that the City was warned of even more tree-related risks in the park after Jennifer’s fatal accident, yet the City did nothing with that report.
We are grateful that the jury agreed that the negligence of the City of Davis was truly inexcusable. The City’s legal team had argued that a $10 million verdict should be the maximum amount rendered, but the court ultimately deemed $24.2 million to be more reflective of the family’s losses and the City’s severe negligence. The amount is the largest wrongful death judgment in Yolo County history and will be paid out of the City’s municipal risk pool.
In an explanation of the large judgment amount and its purpose to not only help Jennifer’s surviving family but also send a message to other municipalities, Attorney Dreyer was quoted as saying, “[…] The significance of the number hopefully reminds not only [the City of] Davis but all municipalities [to] do your job.”
To learn more about this significant case result, you can visit these resources:
- “Following $24M ruling finding Davis liable for park death, attorney continues to call out city response” (CBS News)
- “Jury awards $24 million to family of Davis woman killed by falling tree limb in Slide Hill Park” (KCRA 3 NBC)
- “Jury awards $24.2 million verdict in Slide Hill Park death” (The Davis Enterprise)
- “City of Davis Statement Regarding Pitts Trial and Urban Forestry Improvements” (Davis California – City Hall)
If you need the help of Attorney Dreyer or any of our trial attorneys of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora, LLP, we offer our compassionate and experienced legal counsel to anyone in North California. Call (916) 999-9132 at any time to request a no-cost consultation, during which we can assess your situation and let you know how to proceed if you have grounds to file an injury claim after an accident.
