Trial Magazine

Officer Deborah Zaragoza was con-ducting radar speed enforcement while traveling 70 mph on a state highway in her police SUV. She rear-ended the sedan of Alice Goudie, 64, who was stopped on the highway with her left turn signal on, waiting to make a turn. The collision caused Goudie’s vehicle to rotate counterclockwise before she was struck by another driver, who could not avoid her vehicle.

Goudie suffered fatal injuries. She had been a housekeeper earning up to $30,000 annually and is survived by her husband and three adult children.

Goudie’s surviving family members sued the state of California, alleging that Goudie’s wrongful death resulted from Zaragoza’s failure to heed the 65-mph posted speed limit and avoid the collision.

The defense admitted liability. The parties settled for $7.5 million.

Citation: Goudie v. State, No. 16-CV-9924 (Cal. Super. Ct. Amador Cnty. Sept. 14, 2018).

Plaintiff counsel: AAJ members Roger A. Dreyer and Nolan R. Jones, both of Sacramento, Calif.