County OKs $2.5 Million for Man Hit by Train
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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved paying a near-record $2.5-million settlement for crippling injuries suffered by a mentally ill man who was improperly released from a county jail and later struck by a train.
Under the terms of the settlement, approved in executive session on Tuesday, William Penuela, 41, will receive $1.5 million. An additional $1 million will go toward legal fees and court costs.
The Times reported Tuesday that the county’s top lawyers ignored the advice of their own expert private counsel to settle the case two years ago for $800,000 less.
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