CA: Jury nixes illegal alien's suit over fall in grocery

[Nouveauxpoor]

Jury nixes illegal alien's suit over fall in grocery store
By TERRY VAU DELL/MediaNews Group
Oroville Mercury Register
Article Launched:06/29/2007 12:00:00 AM PDT

A Butte County jury has found a Gridley supermarket not liable to pay civil damages to an illegal alien who slipped and fell on a grape inside the store.
The plaintiff, who suffered a fractured kneecap in the incident, had sought over $400,000 through her lawyer for past and future medical expenses, and pain and suffering.

The jury was not specifically told the shopper was an illegal alien, only that she "couldn't legally work in this country."

Superior Court Judge Barbara Roberts read a stipulation to that effect to the jury after the woman's San Francisco attorney, Rafael Crespo Jr., had asked her on the witness stand whether the reason that she couldn't pay her medical bills was because she couldn't work.

Crespo said Thursday he only agreed to the clarifying statement to the jury to avoid the whole issue about her illegal status coming out.

"I assumed the stipulation would have a negative impact" on the jury, added the plaintiff's attorney.

Reached for comment Thursday, James Pincin, the attorney for North State Groceries, said the woman's alien status was deliberately never mentioned or an issue in front of the jury.

"The jury found our client was not negligent in this incident," he said.

Pointing to medical testimony indicating the woman will likely need an entire knee replacement, her attorney asked the jury to order the store to pay her damages of as much as $450,000, an amount the store's lawyer called "ridiculous."

The jury, which heard the three-day civil trial at the Chico courthouse, was out only about an hour on Wednesday before finding the Gridley supermarket not liable for any damages.

http://www.orovillemr.com/news/ci_6256948

[realbsball]

Godd news, but I'm sure Senator Fienstein will make sure that the taxpayers of California pay for the medical bills.

[cvangel]

Kudos to the jury Now they should deport her!

[americangirl]

She slipped on a grape?? Hmm....there's something very contrived and suspicious about this story.

Thank goodness she lost.

[MW]

She took her shot and lost, now it's time to send her home (her real home).

[Nicole]

She slipped on a grape?? Hmm....there's something very contrived and suspicious about this story.

Thank goodness she lost.

I know- she will need a full knee replacement? Soundfd like fraud to me.

[zeezil]

The entitlement mindset of the illegals never ceases. Let's see, we have an illegal alien criminal lawbreaker who should not even be in the U.S. much less in this grocery "finds or places" a grape to slip on and sues for a half a million dollars. Guess she read (in Spanish informational fliers and promotional literature) about how easy is is to file neglience lawsuits in the U.S. Another example of illegal aliens hiding in the shadows??? Hardly...now deport the DOB (daughter of a b*****) and be done with her.

[Jean]

Regardless of whether the person was an illegal or a citizen, this mentality we can in our society sue over every little thing boggles my mind.

[Nicole]

Regardless of whether the person was an illegal or a citizen, this mentality we can in our society sue over every little thing boggles my mind.

Agreed- there are many Americans and legal citizens out there trying to make a quick buck. One just has to look in the paper/watch the news every day for the frivilous law suits. It is part greed and part of the victim mentality that has taken over. There is no personal responsibility-it is always someone elses fault and let's make them pay through the nose for it.

[jimpasz]

Can illegals sue if they get hurt climbing over the fence at the border?