After a five-week jury trial, Attorney Ray Dearie and Attorney Drew Lombardi secured what is believed to be a record $130 million wrongful death jury verdict in Pierce County Superior Court (Tacoma, WA).
A Tacoma jury returned the record $130 million verdict in favor of the Estate of Sarai Brooks, finding that the State of Washington and a South Hill daycare owned by Love and Laughter Learning Centers, Inc. failed to protect the 2-year-old girl from prolonged abuse that led to her death.
The lawsuit brought by the Estate’s personal representative alleged that both the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) and Love and Laughter Learning Centers, Inc., ignored clear warning signs of abuse and failed to take basic steps that would have saved Sarai’s life.
Sarai died on March 11, 2022, after suffering extensive injuries consistent with repeated, escalating abuse attributed to Augustino Maile, the boyfriend of Sarai’s mother. The Pierce County Medical Examiner determined her death resulted from blunt force trauma to the head and documented a history of injuries to the child that point to a history of prolonged abuse.
Following the five-week trial, the jury found that systemic failures across both the child welfare system and the daycare directly contributed to Sarai’s death. The jury apportioned liability between the State of Washington and the daycare center.
Evidence presented at trial showed that DCYF returned Sarai to a home where her abuser remained present despite a court order prohibiting contact, then failed to follow up on repeated warning signs, including missed daycare attendance and visible injuries.
Court documents also show that staff at the Love and Laughter Learning Center daycare observed visible injuries, including a black eye and other concerning marks, but failed to report them to authorities as required by law.
The case drew attention to broader systemic issues within Washington’s child welfare system, including high staff turnover, missed warning signs, and breakdowns in communication among agencies responsible for protecting vulnerable children.
Attorney Ray Dearie and Attorney Drew Lombardi both thank the jury for their hard work in the case, which included sitting through nearly five weeks of testimony, evaluating voluminous documents, and deliberating before rendering their verdict.
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