Wrongful Death Lawsuit to be Filed on Behalf
of Family of Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez
MERCED – A lawsuit against Merced Farm Labor, Maria Colunga and West Coast Grape Farming Inc. will be filed on Wednesday, June 18 in Merced Superior Court in the death of Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez.
The lawsuit is for wrongful death, general negligence and premises liability. It is being filed on behalf of Jovita Margarita Jimenez Bautista, Maria Isabel’s mother.
Attorneys representing Mrs. Jimenez Bautista are Robert F. Perez of the law firm Perez, Williams & Median of Fresno, and co-counsel Marcos Camacho of Marcos Camacho Law Corp. of Bakersfield.
Maria Isabel, a 17-year-old farm worker from Oaxaca collapsed on May 14 while working for Merced Farm Labor in a vineyard owned by West Coast Grape Farming outside of Stockton. Maria Isabel had worked nine hours in temperatures that reached 100 degrees inside the vineyard. Her body temperature was 108.4 degrees when she was finally taken to a hospital nearly two hours after collapsing. She died on May 16.
A press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday to detail the lawsuit.
What: Press conference announcing filing of wrongful death lawsuit against Merced Farm Labor
When: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 18
Where: Merced Superior Court, 2260 “N” Street, Merced (out front)
Who: Doroteo Jimenez, Maria Isabel’s uncle; Robert Perez, attorney for the family; Marcos Camacho, co-counsel; and Armando Elenes, UFW.
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