Package ran live on NewsWaves 32 on Sept. 24.
Families of the four girls and Carlos Solloa, a Pepperdine senior who was injured in the crash, filed individual lawsuits nearly one year after the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) collision that took the lives of four Pepperdine Seniors, Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir and Deslyn Williams.
These lawsuits were filed separately, some with different firms, but all asking for the same outcome, Alex Behar, the attorney of one of the lawsuits said.
“This is a call to action that we are not going to stand for this any longer,” Behar said.
The lawsuits, filed by the families, argue that the State of California, the Los Angeles County, City of Malibu, Caltrans and the California Coastal Commission are negligent for the collision that occurred Oct. 17, 2023.
The families of the four girls argue that as a direct result of the unwillingness to fix and acknowledge the dangers of PCH, they suffered injury, loss of companionship, wrongful death, expenses and financial support of those who passed, the lawsuits state.
The families argue that the defendants were aware of the dangers of PCH and specifically the 0.8 mile stretch where the collision occurred, known as, “Deadman’s Curve,” long before the accident.
In 2015, the city of Malibu allocated $28 million for safety improvements on PCH. To date, only seven of these measures have been completed, according to the lawsuit.
This proposed safety plan acknowledges that the city has recognized these issues, and had not moved forward with renovation, Behar said.
“What the study just continues to reiterate, for decades,” Behar said, “Is just the knowledge that the state actors have had of the problems with this roadway.”
CalTrans declined to comment on the lawsuits filed. The City of Malibu declined an interview request and shared their statement on the lawsuit filings acknowledging their support and continual fight to see change on PCH.
“The City of Malibu remains committed to collaborating with state and county agencies to expedite necessary safety improvements,” a portion of the City of Malibu Statement reads. “We have continuously supported enforcement efforts to reduce speeding and reckless driving along PCH and will continue to push for further safety enhancements to protect both pedestrians and drivers.”
These lawsuits are meant to make a lasting change on the dangerous roadway, Behar said.
Michel Shane, who lost his daughter, Emily Shane to a speeding driver on PCH in Malibu in 2010, said he chose not to file a lawsuit because the risk was too high.
If we lost the lawsuit to the state, then we would be responsible for the costs, Shane said.
Lawsuits of this nature can take anywhere from 18 months to three years to be settled, Behar said.
“Going through the trial is going to be emotionally draining,” Shane said. “But on the other side, maybe having the lawsuit will give you strength and hope that the deaths weren’t for nothing, and that’s really what it comes down to.”
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Contact Jenna Parsio via Twitter (@jennaparsio) or email: jenna.parsio@pepperdine.edu
