L.A. man gets $58 million after being severely beaten by security guard who crushed his skull
By Victor Trammell
A jury in California has awarded tens of millions of dollars to a Los Angeles man who was savagely beaten by a security guard outside a bar.
Antonio Lopez Chaj, 43, worked as a house painter in April of 2010, which is when he was beaten by a guard who worked for DGSP Security and Patrol. On the night of the incident, Chaj attempted to break up a fight between his nephew and the manager of the bar. The bar is called La Barra Latina and is located in Torrence, Calif.
The lawsuit alleged that Chaj was beaten by a baton numerous times, kicked in the head, and had his head bashed on the pavement outside. The beating by the security guard crushed Chaj’s skull so severely that a portion of his brain and skull had to be permanently removed.
In a news conference this past Monday (July 1), Chaj’s attorney Federico Sayre said that his client has suffered severely and will be bound by the beating’s effects for the rest of his life. “His skull is like a pie with 25 percent cut out of it,” Sayre said.
Sayre also said that the guard who beat Chaj was not licensed or trained properly to handle the duties of a security guard. As a result of the beating, Chaj can no longer talk or walk on his own and requires medical care 24 hours a day.
Chaj was recently awarded $58 million by a jury who found the security firm liable after a civil trial. The award comprised of $35 million for past pain and suffering, $11.5 million for future medical expenses, and $11 million for pain and suffering in the future. Chaj’s award by a California jury is among the largest ever given in a civil suit to one person in the state’s history.
One of Chaj’s attorneys in the lawsuit was the oldest son of Cesar Chavez, an influential figure in Latin American history. Chaj’s legal team expects the security firm to ask the judge in the case to reduce the amount of the judgment.
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