A motorcycle officer with the Oxnard Police Department has filed a claim against Kern County after suffering a 2017 injury during an Oxnard PD training ride in Kern County.
James and April Langford filed the claim this March, and a lawsuit against Shark Helmets and the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) was filed in September. According to the claim and the lawsuit, in September 2017, Officer James Langford was in Kern County for an Oxnard PD motorcycle training ride. The group was traveling westbound on SR-58 several miles west of McKittrick when, according to the lawsuit, the plaintiff attempted to navigate a curve and fell off of the Kawasaki Concours motorcycle. The lawsuit claims that, due to "loose dirt and debris" on the roadway plus the "comprehensive failure" of the plaintiff's Shark motorcycle helmet, the plaintiff suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. The claim against Kern County cites poor maintenance, loose debris, and narrow asphalt as dangerous conditions on SR-58 that led to the accident.
In the claim filed against Kern County, the plaintiff claims that he has suffered economic and non-economic damages due to the "life-altering" injuries. The claim estimates the damages to be $15 million.
Officer Langford was in critical condition after the crash. He required surgery, was placed into a medically-induced coma, and was moved to the ICU for some time.
