Judge combines civil lawsuits of victims in shooting rampage
By Associated Press
An Allegheny County judge folded together four civil lawsuits against the parents of convicted killer Richard Baumhammers on July 5 and ordered defense attorneys to “bring their checkbook” for an Aug. 22 conference to settle the claims.
But Judge Eugene Strassburger also told attorneys for families of victims in the two-county shooting spree last year to “bring a willingness to accept less than the sun, moon and stars.”
Lawsuits filed by the families of five victims and the sole survivor of the shootings claim Andrejs and Inese Baumhammers knew their 35-year-old son was mentally ill, knew he had a weapon, and did nothing to prevent the shooting spree.
Judge Eugene Strassburger said he would first rule on a motion by two insurance companies with policies owned by the Baumhammers, who argue they are not liable in the lawsuit.
Andrejs Baumhammers had a personal umbrella policy with United Services Automobile Association with a limit of $5 million “per occurrence.”
The Baumhammers were also covered under a comprehensive personal policy for $300,000 by the Donegal Mutual Insurance Co.
Attorneys for the insurance companies argue that they cover accidents that result in bodily harm. They say Baumhammers’ shooting rampage was a deliberate act.
Depending on how the court rules, the Baumhammers could pay damages for each of the six people killed or wounded in the shootings — up to $36 million — or up to $5 million if the incident is ruled a singular action.
Sandip Patel, 26, had traveled from India to visit his family in the Pittsburgh area when he was shot by Baumhammers in the Patel family’s grocery. He is now paralyzed from the neck down.
“I wanted to help support my parents — now I cannot do that,” Patel said during Baumhammers’ murder trial. “I wanted to do so many things in my life and now I cannot do them. People have to do things for me.”
Baumhammers became the 241st person on Pennsylvania’s death row after an Allegheny County jury passed down a death sentence in May.
On April 28, 2000, Baumhammers fatally shot his Jewish neighbor, Anita Gordon, before driving to a grocery store in nearby Scott Township, fatally shooting Anil Thakur, an Indian man, and paralyzing Patel, who is also of Indian descent.
He then drove to a Chinese restaurant in Robinson Township, where he shot and killed Ji-Ye Sun, a native of China, and Thao Pham, who left Vietnam in 1979. He drove into Beaver County and shot Garry Lee, who was black, before being stopped by police.
Prosecutors said Baumhammers killed the victims because of their ethnic backgrounds.
Court documents and testimony during Baumhammers’ trial indicated a long history of associations with racist and anti-Semitic groups.
An attorney for Bonnie Ngo, Pham’s wife, said they have until next April to file a lawsuit.
No lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Thakur, whose nearest relatives live in India. |
