It was a perfect storm: A drug-abusing dad with more than 30 prior convictions, an inexperienced social worker and an 11-year-old girl, buffeted in the middle.
While Sacramento citizens committees examine child abuse and neglect deaths, focusing on the most extreme cases, a number of children who don’t die have their own hazardous brushes with the system. This is the story of one such child.
The girl’s case comes to light only because she sued Sacramento Child Protective Services and two social workers for what happened to her in August 2001 — five years after the death of 3-year-old Adrian Conway, and the county’s promise to place child safety over “family preservation.”
A 22-year-old North Highlands man was sentenced Friday to 15 years to life in prison for the hit- and-run collision that killed a nurse who weeks earlier had lost his daughter in another car crash.
A 61-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to two life terms in prison with a possibility of parole for arson and the attempted murder of five Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies.
No one saw who started the 50-acre wildfire that burned dangerously close to homes near El Dorado Hills in September 1999.
But authorities say they quickly turned their attention to an ex-state firefighter and Placer County fire district candidate who had a knack for showing up around fires and firefighters.
El Dorado County Deputy District Attorney Paul Sutherland said Robert Lizarraga appeared shortly after the blaze broke out near Salmon Falls Road and chatted eagerly with firefighters. In Lizarraga’s car, he said, investigators found a uniform shirt, badge and flashlight stolen from a firetruck in Sacramento County.
A former Sacramento property manager was sentenced Friday to 100 days of community service for her conviction on misdemeanor hate crime charges against a black family.
Dudensing Law secured an $8 million recovery for the family of a man who lost his leg after a California skilled nursing facility failed to monitor his known vascular disease.
Despite the facility's own care plan promising to watch for complications, staff never checked his pulses, skin color, or circulation even though he reported leg pain on at least 25 of his 28 days there. By the time staff responded to the emergency, his leg had lost blood flow and could not be saved.
If your loved one has suffered neglect in a care facility, contact Dudensing Law for a free consultation: dudensinglaw.com/contact/
We've launched a new podcast page on the Dudensing Law website where you can find every episode featuring our Founder, Ed Dudensing.
From breaking down nine-figure verdicts to unpacking the systemic issues behind long-term care facility neglect, Ed has sat down with shows across the legal industry to talk about what it really takes to hold negligent long-term care facilities accountable.
Dudensing Law wrapped up summer with some friendly competition! Our team – along with our summer associates – closed out the season by stepping into the spotlight as the stars of their own game show.
We’re grateful for the hard work, dedication, and contributions they made throughout the summer, and we enjoyed celebrating their time with our team.
We are excited to highlight one of our summer clerks, Rebab Alkhafaji.
Rebab is a rising 2L at UC Davis School of Law. Before law school, Rebab worked as a social worker in adult services, advocating directly for older and vulnerable adults in the community. That firsthand experience translates seamlessly to the firm's mission of holding institutions accountable for the harm done to those in their care.
Dudensing Law secured a $3 million recovery for the family of a man who died after becoming septic from a “large and obvious" facial infection that a California skilled nursing facility failed to document or address. Despite his loved one repeatedly warning staff about his fall risk, he suffered at least 10 falls, including one incident in which he was found unattended outside in 100-degree heat, bleeding.
If your loved one has suffered neglect in a care facility, contact Dudensing Law for a free consultation: dudensinglaw.com/contact/
