Civil SuitMunicipal LiabilityNegligence

Sac Metro Sued Over Bulldozed Car

The owners of a vehicle that was damaged by Sacramento Metro firefighters while battling a blaze in a junk yard, have filed suit alleging negligence. Iryna Vorniku and Kostiantyn Vorniku are seeking $68,000 in damages from the Sacramento Metro Fire District.

The complaint alleges that the vehicle, a new Ford SUV with a value of $68,000, was parked at a semi-truck parking area while the Vornikus were on the road as truck drivers. On August 5, 2022 (while they were gone) a fire occurred at an adjacent junk yard. Firefighters apparently needed to move the Vornikus’ vehicle. They claim firefighters “brought in a bulldozer and destroyed my car completely, pushing… it into the yard where” the fire was.

Quoting from the complaint:

  • Defendant used a yellow bulldozer to remove vehicle that was owned by plaintiffs and destroyed a new car.
  • DRIVER did not need to move the plaintiffs’ car to access the fire in a neighbor’s junk yard.
  • Defendants should have used other means to move the car other than to use a bulldozer that destroyed the car when defendant if needed only needed to pull the car out of the way to gain access to the fire.

Here is a copy of the complaint:

Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 50 years of fire service experience and 40 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. Besides his law degree, he has a MS in Forensic Psychology. 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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