Alice Williams, as the proposed personal representative of the estate of Sergio Otano, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Riviera Beach, Rivera Beach Police Department, Palm Beach Cars Inc., Thomas Jefferson Alford Jr., and John Does 1-3 in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida. The case number is 502024CA003157XXXANB and was filed on April 4, 2024.
The complaint alleges that the defendants' joint actions and omissions led to the death of Sergio Otano. It was brought forth by Alice Williams through her counsel Marwan E. Porter of The Porter Law Firm LLC. The plaintiff claims that officers employed by the City of Riviera Beach and Riviera Beach Police Department chased Thomas Jefferson Alford Jr. through a residential neighborhood causing a motor vehicle collision that resulted in Otano's death.
The court has jurisdiction over this matter as the value of damages exceeds $50,000, exclusive of interest and cost. The conduct leading to Otano's death occurred in Palm Beach County where all defendants reside or engage in business.
The plaintiff seeks to recover damages pursuant to Florida’s Survival Statute and Florida’s Wrongful Death Act for Otano's wrongful death and severe injuries he sustained prior to his death.