Commercial Aircraft – General Aviation (private planes) – Helicopters accidents Though considered the safest mode of transportation, airplanes do crash.…
One of the best cruise ship accidents lawyers in Florida is the office of Leighton Law with over 37 years…
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are extremely serious injuries that can affect victims and their families for a lifetime. A traumatic…
Miami car accident attorney John Leighton can help you with your claim Motor vehicle crashes continue to take over 40,000…
Catastrophic injuries are completely life changing injuries caused by another person or business. There are a lot of lawyers who…
Child sex abuse is a serious and persistent problem in our society. The frequency and long-term effects on children (and…
Construction accidents take lives and leave families devastated Accidents on construction sites or those caused by construction occur frequently. Because…
Legal malpractice occurs when a lawyer fails to properly represent a client. Just as a doctor may commit medical malpractice…
Medical malpractice involves medical mistakes by a health care provider, whether it is a doctor, hospital, nurse, dentist, medical/dental office…
Everyone claims to want to be Number 1, right? Well, Florida is Number 1…in motorcycle accident deaths.And Miami-Dade County is…
Negligent security cases involve someone who has been injured due to a violent or sexual crime. One way to reduce…
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect Cannot Be Tolerated Patients in nursing homes or assisted living facilities deserve the highest level…
Parasailing and Water Sports Accidents The personal injury lawyers at Leighton Law have a long history of recovering some of…
What is “Personal Injury”? The field of personal injury involves many types of accidents and injuries. The one thing they…
Slip & Fall – Trip & Fall – Obstructions – Falling Merchandise When someone is injured from a slip and…
Defective or Dangerous Products Product liability means holding manufacturers and sellers responsible for products that injure or kill people. Florida…
Resort Torts (resort injuries) encompass almost every aspect of personal injury litigation. Resort Torts are personal injury cases for negligent…
1 out of every 6 women will be the victim of a rape or attempted sexual assault in her lifetime.…
Truck accidents and motor vehicle crashes continue to take over 40,000 lives each year due to: Distracted Drivers (DWD -…
Leighton Law is a personal injury and wrongful death firm dedicated to representing families of those who have been killed…
The issue of police use of deadly force is a hot topic in America. We want our law enforcement to protect us, but they cannot use that power recklessly. Most police officers act professionally and protect those in the community. When an office goes beyond that, they have to be accountable.
Police should never be permitted to punish the criminal more than the State could if he was convicted of the crime. The law says that police can only use deadly force when their life is in danger or the life of another is threatened. This case presents a classic example of a “bad cop” who got away with many shootings before taking the life of another unnecessarily.
Our client was the mother of a young man who had stolen a car. When spotted by the police, the young man engaged in a high speed chase in an attempt to get away. After crashing the stolen car, he took off on foot in an attempt to flee. He never threatened anyone. A police officer who had given chase fired several shots at the young man from inside his police car. The young man was unarmed and was scaling a fence with his back to the officer when he was fatally shot. A federal civil rights case was brought by John Elliott Leighton on behalf of the man’s mother against the police department for the young man’s wrongful death. Leighton proved that the man was unarmed, was running away from the police, and that the police officer violated policies when he fired from a police car. The case was settled for $900,000.
Leighton proved that the police officer in question had a long history of abusive conduct. He had been involved in several police shootings prior to this one, including one in which he had shot a security guard. He had been identified as the police officer with the most shootings east of the Mississippi River. Each prior shooting was ultimately “justified” by the police department and he remained on the street. This case is an example of how the civil justice system can bring to light the abuses that can happen when the wrong person is given a badge and a gun. While most police officers are hard working men and women who risk their lives everyday, this one was different. He was someone who should have been identified early as a risk to the public. Unfortunately it took several shootings and the loss of a young man’s life to finally change this.
Leighton Law is committed to helping people who have suffered abuse at the hands of the government or business establishment and have been injured or lost a loved one.
Disclaimer: The information about past verdicts and settlements of the firm’s cases are based on the unique facts of each case. These amounts reflect the gross recovery in each case (before attorneys fees, expenses and medical costs are deducted). Although these results were obtained by our firm, they may not indicate the success or value of any other case. By clicking on Verdicts and Settlements you are acknowledging that each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. The information contained here has not been reviewed or approved by The Florida Bar.
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