6:02am
A tentative settlement has been reach in the case involving a lifeguard’s SUV that ran over a sunbather at Venice Beach.
Lorae Bermudez of Whittier suffered a lacerated liver when she was
struck on Sept. 15, 2014, according to court papers. She and her husband, Thomas Kim, sued Los Angeles County two months later, claiming negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The couple’s attorney, Robert Glassman, would not give details of the settlement. However, he says it needs approval from the Board of Supervisors, which must sign off on all settlements above $100,000.
Glassman says Bermudez “still shudders at the thought that this happened to her
and could happen to other innocent people at the beach. She’ll never forget. But she’s happy to put this behind her and move on with her life with her family.”
In a June 2015 deposition, Bermudez, then 26, said she was alone
lying on a beach towel when “I felt this crushing weight come over
me.” Her husband was swimming in the water at the time. Bermudez said she was “able to scream and yell and cry. I knew who it was that ran me over, so I expected immediate help.”
During deposition last September Lifeguard Lidia Barillas said she should have noticed Bermudez before running over her. Barillas said she was traveling 2 to 4 mph in a Ford Escape at the time of the accident. She said she had left her tower to warn swimmers about dangerous conditions and that a warning beeper on her vehicle was activated.
