The son of a 67-year-old woman who was crushed to death in August when a 22-ton construction truck and trailer rolled downhill on a Brentwood street and struck her is suing the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power.
Quang Dang Tran's mother was Nga "Nina" Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee who fled her home country in search of safety and opportunity and spent decades trying to build a better life for her only child, according to her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit.
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At the time still active and healthy, Nguyen was unloading supplies from her trunk for a client when the unsecured vehicle rolled downhill and pinned her between two cars, according to the negligence/wrongful death suit. The truck was negligently parked facing downhill without the parking brakes engaged and without its wheels turned to the curb, according to the suit, which further alleges that blocks were used to prevent it from rolling.
"This wasn't an accident, it was a preventable death caused by inexcusable negligence," lead plaintiff's attorney Daniel Kramer said in a statement. "Every construction worker knows you don't park a 22-ton truck and trailer facing downhill without wheel chocks or safety brakes engaged. LADWP hired this contractor, put them on a residential street and failed to ensure basic safety protocols were followed. Nina paid for that failure with her life."
A DWP representative said the agency is aware of the accident that occurred Aug. 29 involving Nguyen and a private contractor working for the department in the 16500 block of Park Lane Circle.
"We offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim," the statement read. "Upon learning of this incident, we sent DWP management to the scene and are working closely with LAPD and investigators as they conduct a full investigation."
Nguyen spent many years working as a manicurist.
"My mom came to this country as a refugee and worked tirelessly to build a safer, better life for our family," Tran said in a statement. "Her death, caused by a complete lack of basic safety measures, has been devastating for all of us. Through this lawsuit, I want to honor her legacy and make sure no other family has to endure the same tragedy."
Tran seeks unspecified damages.
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