Claim Filed in San Francisco in Plane Crash Death

A civil claim has been filed against the City of San Francisco by the parents of a 16-year-old Chinese girl who died following the crash of an Asiana Airlines last July. Ye Meng Yuan was allegedly struck by two San Francisco Fire Department vehicles while she lay injured on the tarmac covered in foam.

Her parents, Gan Ye and Xiao Yun Zheng, filed the administrative claim with the city alleging gross negligence by the city for failing to properly train firefighters, mark the locations of victims, and above all avoid hitting them with their vehicles. An amount of damages has not been specified.

The claim is a necessary precursor to a civil tort suit against the city. The city has 45 days to settle the claim before a suit can be filed.

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About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 45 years of fire service experience and 35 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.
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