Posted on 01/02/2009 6:42:08 PM PST by SmithL
SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco officials have taken a step to try to ensure that the city is reimbursed for $75,000 in medical bills incurred by one of two brothers mauled by a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo last Christmas.
In a filing this week in federal court, officials said the city wanted to be compensated for the cost of treating Kulbir Dhaliwal, now 24, at the city-run San Francisco General Hospital after the attack.
The document, a medical reimbursement lien, was filed Wednesday in connection with proceedings in a federal lawsuit filed against the city and by Dhaliwal and his younger brother, Paul. That suit, filed in November, claims that the brothers were permanently scarred when a 243-pound tiger named Tatiana escaped its enclosure just before closing time on Christmas 2007 and attacked them.
The tiger also killed the brothers' friend Carlos Sousa, 17, whose family filed a separate lawsuit against the city Dec. 23. All three of the men lived in San Jose.
The Dhaliwals' suit also claims that they were falsely accused by city officials and the zoo's hired public relations man, Sam Singer, of taunting the animal before it escaped.
If the court approves the city's request for a lien, Kulbir Dhaliwal will be ordered to pay the city $75,193 from any settlement or judgment awarded to the brothers in connection with the lawsuit.
The city has insisted that insurers for the San Francisco Zoological Society, a nonprofit that runs the city-owned zoo, is responsible for paying any judgment to the victims.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
“The Dhaliwals’ suit also claims that they were falsely accused by city officials and the zoo’s hired public relations man, Sam Singer, of taunting the animal before it escaped.”
“Both brothers remain in legal trouble for unrelated incidents. Paul Dhaliwal, now 20, is about to be sent to state prison to serve a 16-month sentence he was given in Santa Clara County in August for violating probation by leading police on a 140-mph chase.”
Must be a couple of innocent ‘youths’...
Wow! I agree with SanFran. Those kids egged the poor tiger on.
They should pay up.
Yeah innocent youths..
Both brothers remain in legal trouble for unrelated incidents. Paul Dhaliwal, now 20, is about to be sent to state prison to serve a 16-month sentence he was given in Santa Clara County in August for violating probation by leading police on a 140-mph chase.
Kulbir Dhaliwal has been sentenced to 10 days in jail for a drunken scuffle with police that could cost him his security guard’s license.
Yeah innocent youths..
Both brothers remain in legal trouble for unrelated incidents. Paul Dhaliwal, now 20, is about to be sent to state prison to serve a 16-month sentence he was given in Santa Clara County in August for violating probation by leading police on a 140-mph chase.
Kulbir Dhaliwal has been sentenced to 10 days in jail for a drunken scuffle with police that could cost him his security guard’s license.
They should pay with or without their bogus lawsuit.
Whether they egged the tiger on or not, the zoo was negligent in creating an enclosure that a tiger could escape from. What if it was a 7 year old kid that taunted the tiger? It’s a fair chance that someone will, sooner or later. You don’t have to be an expert to suspect that an 8’ tiger can jump a 16’ wall.
This is a good opportunity to stick it to liberals all around. Most likely, this medical bill is at least 50% fraudulent, filled with up-billing, kick-backs, errors, duplicate billings and outright thievery.
The bill should be turned over to a medical billing investigator, and then followed up with a lawsuit against the thieving liberal quacks. Then follow up with a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit against the hospital.
In the end, the guy still ends up paying a whopping medical bill, but the thieves at the quack hospital also get slammed with a huge lawsuit. A win for everyone.
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