Latest news with #SaltzMongeluzziBendesky
CBS News
25-06-2025
- CBS News
Family of T.J. Siderio, fatally shot by Philadelphia police officer, agrees to $3 million settlement
The family of 12-year-old Thomas "T.J." Siderio, who was fatally shot by a Philadelphia police officer three years ago, has agreed to a $3 million settlement with the city. Siderio was on the ground and unarmed when the officer, Edsaul Mendoza, fired the fatal shot into his back, authorities have said. The youth had first fired a shot at an unmarked police car, injuring one of four plainclothes officers inside, and he eventually threw a gun down about 40 feet (12 meters) during a foot chase before he was shot and then either tripped or dropped to the ground. Mendoza, a five-year veteran of the force who was fired a week after the shooting in 2022, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in April 2024. He was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison. "This is a tragic case that never should have happened," Michael Budner, a partner at Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, one of two law firms that represented the family, said. "This resolution provides some measure of justice to the family of TJ Siderio for their devastating loss." Police officials have said the undercover officers had been looking for a teenager they wanted to talk with about a firearm investigation. They saw Siderio and an unnamed 17-year-old and maneuvered the car around the block and next to them to initiate a stop. Prosecutors said that almost at the same time the officers turned their red and blue lights on, a shot came through the back passenger window and ricocheted around the car. One officer was treated for injuries to his eye and face caused by broken glass. Mendoza and another officer on the passenger side got out and fired one shot each, according to police. Mendoza then chased Siderio down the block, firing twice and striking the boy once in the back in what prosecutors say was "relatively close range."
Associated Press
25-06-2025
- Associated Press
Family of boy fatally shot by Philadelphia police officer agrees to $3 million settlement
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The family of a 12-year-old boy who was fatally shot by a Philadelphia police officer three years ago has agreed to a $3 million settlement with the city. Thomas 'T.J.' Siderio was on the ground and unarmed when the officer, Edsaul Mendoza, fired the fatal shot into his back, authorities have said. The youth had first fired a shot at an unmarked police car, injuring one of four plainclothes officers inside, and he eventually threw a gun down about 40 feet (12 meters) during a foot chase before he was shot and then either tripped or dropped to the ground. Mendoza, a five-year veteran of the force who was fired a week after the shooting in 2022, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in April 2024. He was sentenced to eight to 20 years in prison. 'This is a tragic case that never should have happened,' Michael Budner, a partner at Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, one of two law firms that represented the family. 'This resolution provides some measure of justice to the family of TJ Siderio for their devastating loss.' Police officials have said the undercover officers had been looking for a teenager they wanted to talk with about a firearm investigation. They saw Siderio and an unnamed 17-year-old and maneuvered the car around the block and next to them to initiate a stop. Prosecutors said that almost at the same time the officers turned their red and blue lights on, a shot came through the back passenger window and ricocheted around the car. One officer was treated for injuries to his eye and face caused by broken glass. Mendoza and another officer on the passenger side got out and fired one shot each, according to police. Mendoza then chased Siderio down the block, firing twice and striking the boy once in the back in what prosecutors say was 'relatively close range.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
10 Years After the Amtrak Train 188 Deadly Derailment, Trial Lawyers Thomas R. Kline, Robert J. Mongeluzzi, and Benedict P. Morelli Remember the Victims, Urge Enhanced Transportation Safety
PHILADELPHIA, May 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For most commuters, including passenger rail commuters, Monday, May 12th, will be just another start of the work week. But for many others, especially those who lost family members (eight passengers were killed and more than 200 injured) in the May 12, 2015, Amtrak Train 188 derailment in Philadelphia, Monday marks a solemn 10-year milestone; it will be a day of remembrance, reflection and calls for enhanced transportation safety measures to protect passengers, workers, and the public. Leading Philadelphia trial lawyers Thomas R. Kline, of Kline & Specter, and Robert J. Mongeluzzi, of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, and their firms jointly represented many of the plaintiffs in the historic litigation that followed the incident, vividly remember that day, and the months and years that followed fighting for justice – in court houses and Congress - and rail safety pause to remember the eight who died in the Amtrak 188 Derailment. May their memory forever be a blessing: (Top Row, left to right) Abid Gilani 55, Virginia, bank executive Dr. Derrick Griffith 42, Brooklyn, NY, dean of student affairs & enrollment management Justin Zemser 20, Queens, NY, Midshipman, U.S. Naval Academy Rachel Jacobs 39, Philadelphia, CEO of a Philadelphia educational software company (Bottom row) Jim Gaines 48, Plainsboro, NJ, Associated Press video software architect Bob Gildersleeve, Jr. 45, Maryland, environmental services company executive Laura Finamore 47, Queens, NY, national real estate company managing director Giuseppe Piras 41, Sardinia, olive oil merchant Mr. Mongeluzzzi said, 'We are honored to have been part of the extraordinary legal team of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, Kline & Specter and Morelli Law, as we fought for justice for these victims, an increase in the monetary cap on recoveries against Amtrak and the requirement that all Amtrak trains be equipped with positive train control which would have prevented this and many other railroad derailments. That joint effort culminated in a $265 million settlement, the largest recovery in a train accident ever, the raising of the Amtrak cap to $295 million and the accelerated acceptance and installation of positive train control that has and will save countless lives and injuries. However , eight lives were lost forever. The catastrophic injuries many of the survivors suffered will last a lifetime. While the accident and the litigation it spawned may have a positive impact on subsequent train safety , the cost of lives and devastating lifelong injuries came at a steep price. Today we remember these victims and continue our fight to make our world a safer place.' Mr. Kline added, 'On the tenth anniversary of this tragedy, we are thinking of the families and individuals who we represented who suffered unimaginable grief and for so long as a result of this preventable tragedy. We honor the memory of those who were lost, support their families and those still healing, and carry all of their stories of courage, heartbreak, and resilience with us still today. We are hopeful that lessons have been learned and changes implemented to prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening again. Safety in public transportation is paramount, and we will continue to commit ourselves as lawyers to do our part and seeking accountability when it is necessary to do so.' Mr. Morelli, looking back, said, 'The efforts of our three firms were paramount in resolving this litigation, without individual trials, which allowed the victims and their families to get some closure without having to relive the tragedy. We understand that if the money was spent by Amtrak to have Positive Train Control, the accident never would have happened, eight lives never would have been lost, and the other victims' lives never would have been changed forever. We need to continue the fight for safety in public transportation, and to make sure that money over safety does not continue to be Amtrak's legacy.' Daniel Armyn was among the injured plaintiffs-survivors, and he says that 10 years later he is still scarred, physically and emotionally. 'I'm thankful every day to have survived, and that I've mostly recovered from the physical injuries, but the PTSD is still very real and endless,' he said from Brunetti's, his family's Westhampton Beach, Long Island restaurant. 'I think about the derailment whenever I set foot on any form of transportation, or when my wife or our two kids board a plane or a train. My shattered bones mended after months of being homebound, but my then thriving design & advertising business, NewBreed, was fractured. I can never get out of my head that the derailment was preventable." Coverage Note: It is respectfully requested that any interviews, including those with family of victims/survivors, be arranged through the law firm contacts noted below. Contacts: Thomas R. Kline / / 215-407-1360 Robert J. Mongeluzzi / rmongeluzzi@ / 215-850-6571Hank Grezlak / / 215-792-5566Steph Rosenfeld / steph@ / 215-514-4101 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
10 Years After the Amtrak Train 188 Deadly Derailment, Trial Lawyers Thomas R. Kline, Robert J. Mongeluzzi, and Benedict P. Morelli Remember the Victims, Urge Enhanced Transportation Safety
PHILADELPHIA, May 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For most commuters, including passenger rail commuters, Monday, May 12th, will be just another start of the work week. But for many others, especially those who lost family members (eight passengers were killed and more than 200 injured) in the May 12, 2015, Amtrak Train 188 derailment in Philadelphia, Monday marks a solemn 10-year milestone; it will be a day of remembrance, reflection and calls for enhanced transportation safety measures to protect passengers, workers, and the public. Leading Philadelphia trial lawyers Thomas R. Kline, of Kline & Specter, and Robert J. Mongeluzzi, of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, and their firms jointly represented many of the plaintiffs in the historic litigation that followed the incident, vividly remember that day, and the months and years that followed fighting for justice – in court houses and Congress - and rail safety pause to remember the eight who died in the Amtrak 188 Derailment. May their memory forever be a blessing: (Top Row, left to right) Abid Gilani 55, Virginia, bank executive Dr. Derrick Griffith 42, Brooklyn, NY, dean of student affairs & enrollment management Justin Zemser 20, Queens, NY, Midshipman, U.S. Naval Academy Rachel Jacobs 39, Philadelphia, CEO of a Philadelphia educational software company (Bottom row) Jim Gaines 48, Plainsboro, NJ, Associated Press video software architect Bob Gildersleeve, Jr. 45, Maryland, environmental services company executive Laura Finamore 47, Queens, NY, national real estate company managing director Giuseppe Piras 41, Sardinia, olive oil merchant Mr. Mongeluzzzi said, 'We are honored to have been part of the extraordinary legal team of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, Kline & Specter and Morelli Law, as we fought for justice for these victims, an increase in the monetary cap on recoveries against Amtrak and the requirement that all Amtrak trains be equipped with positive train control which would have prevented this and many other railroad derailments. That joint effort culminated in a $265 million settlement, the largest recovery in a train accident ever, the raising of the Amtrak cap to $295 million and the accelerated acceptance and installation of positive train control that has and will save countless lives and injuries. However , eight lives were lost forever. The catastrophic injuries many of the survivors suffered will last a lifetime. While the accident and the litigation it spawned may have a positive impact on subsequent train safety , the cost of lives and devastating lifelong injuries came at a steep price. Today we remember these victims and continue our fight to make our world a safer place.' Mr. Kline added, 'On the tenth anniversary of this tragedy, we are thinking of the families and individuals who we represented who suffered unimaginable grief and for so long as a result of this preventable tragedy. We honor the memory of those who were lost, support their families and those still healing, and carry all of their stories of courage, heartbreak, and resilience with us still today. We are hopeful that lessons have been learned and changes implemented to prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening again. Safety in public transportation is paramount, and we will continue to commit ourselves as lawyers to do our part and seeking accountability when it is necessary to do so.' Mr. Morelli, looking back, said, 'The efforts of our three firms were paramount in resolving this litigation, without individual trials, which allowed the victims and their families to get some closure without having to relive the tragedy. We understand that if the money was spent by Amtrak to have Positive Train Control, the accident never would have happened, eight lives never would have been lost, and the other victims' lives never would have been changed forever. We need to continue the fight for safety in public transportation, and to make sure that money over safety does not continue to be Amtrak's legacy.' Daniel Armyn was among the injured plaintiffs-survivors, and he says that 10 years later he is still scarred, physically and emotionally. 'I'm thankful every day to have survived, and that I've mostly recovered from the physical injuries, but the PTSD is still very real and endless,' he said from Brunetti's, his family's Westhampton Beach, Long Island restaurant. 'I think about the derailment whenever I set foot on any form of transportation, or when my wife or our two kids board a plane or a train. My shattered bones mended after months of being homebound, but my then thriving design & advertising business, NewBreed, was fractured. I can never get out of my head that the derailment was preventable." Coverage Note: It is respectfully requested that any interviews, including those with family of victims/survivors, be arranged through the law firm contacts noted below. Contacts: Thomas R. Kline / / 215-407-1360 Robert J. Mongeluzzi / rmongeluzzi@ / 215-850-6571Hank Grezlak / / 215-792-5566Steph Rosenfeld / steph@ / 215-514-4101 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
In Another Setback for Sig Sauer, Georgia Court Denies Request for New Trial Following $2.35 Million Verdict in Defective P320 Pistol Case
Federal judge upheld the jury's damages award in full ATLANTA, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A federal judge in Atlanta has denied Sig Sauer's request for a new trial after a jury last June awarded $2.35 million to a Georgia man seriously wounded in 2018 when his holstered P320 pistol fired without him touching the trigger. According to the Court's Order, the gunmaker failed to meet the burden for a new trial and failed to justify its requested reduction in the jury's damages award. Robert Lang, the plaintiff, was represented in the case by Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky. Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky attorneys Robert Zimmerman and Ryan Hurd headed plaintiff Lang's legal team that successfully argued over the nearly two-week trial (Lang v. Sig Sauer, 1:21-cv-04196, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia) that Sig Sauer's P320 that fired without the user pulling the trigger was defective. 'The Court carefully weighed all the evidence at trial before reaching its decision denying the post-trial motions filed by the defendant,' said Mr. Zimmerman on behalf of the trial team. 'The jury heard and understood the evidence. The Court in great detail identified the significant record that the jury based its decision on. The only ones not listening, unfortunately, are those at Sig Sauer who refuse to change the P320's design before more law enforcement officers and law-abiding gun owners are injured or killed.' Attorney Matthew Bonham from Protentis Law also represented plaintiff in the litigation and was an active participant in the trial. Naveen Ramachandrappa, of Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP, serves as appellate counsel to the team. A separate three-judge Federal appeals court panel in Ohio on January 27th issued an order reinstating another case (Timothy Davis v. Sig Sauer, Inc. No. 24-5210, Originating Case No. 3:22-cv- 00010) of a Kentucky man injured in 2021 by his P320 without the user pulling the trigger. Previously, a Pennsylvania jury awarded $11 million in damages, including punitive damages, to another P320 victim, George Abrahams, following a trial in state court. The firm continues to uncover more instances of unintended discharges. Its clients seek to hold Sig Sauer accountable for the defectively designed gun, and call upon the company to take safety-related actions similar to its competitors to avoid injuring or killing other victims. The P320 has been the subject of controversy, litigation, and media scrutiny for years. Additional related information on the Sig Sauer litigation – and the gun's troubled history - can be found at Contacts:Robert W. Zimmerman/ rzimmerman@ / 215-575-3898Steph Rosenfeld / steph@ / 215-514-4101Sign in to access your portfolio
