Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-4_05-cv-04891/USCOURTS-cand-4_05-cv-04891-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Personal Injury

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

GERMAN AGUILAR, as Guardian Ad Litem

of BLANCA AGUILAR and STEPHANIE

AGUILAR,

Plaintiffs,

v.

NATIONAL RAILROAD PASSENGER

CORPORATION ("Amtrak"), UNION PACIFIC

RAILROAD COMPANY, and DOES 1 to 100,

Inclusive.

Defendants.

 /

No. C 05-4891 CW

ORDER DENYING IN

PART APPLICATION

FOR COMPROMISE OF

MINORS' CLAIMS 

Plaintiffs Stephanie and Blanca Aguilar are eight and ten

years old. In 2000, their mother was killed by a train. 

Petitioner German Aguilar, on behalf of his two minor daughters,

Plaintiffs, applies for an Order Approving the Compromise of

Minors' Claims in this matter. Pursuant to the terms of the

settlement, Defendants have agreed to pay Plaintiffs $275,000.00 to

settle the matter. That is a fair amount. The Court also approves

Case 4:05-cv-04891-CW Document 13 Filed 07/19/06 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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of the purchase of annuities for the minor Plaintiffs. The Court,

however, finds that the proposed attorneys' contingency fee of

32.96% is not fair or reasonable. This case settled quickly and

did not require a large investment of attorney time. Furthermore,

the Plaintiffs are minors who have lost their mother. The Court

finds that twenty-five percent of $275,000.00, plus costs in the

amount of $6,473.83, is a fair amount for counsel's efforts. 

Plaintiff is ordered within three weeks from the date of this

order to file another proposed Order Approving Compromise of

Minors' Claims, calculating the new terms of the annuities. The

proposed order shall reflect that $206,250 will be divided and used

to purchase annuities for minor Plaintiffs and that attorneys' fees

will be awarded in the amount of $68,750 from the settlement,

representing a contingency fee of twenty-five percent. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 7/19/06 

CLAUDIA WILKEN

United States District Judge

Case 4:05-cv-04891-CW Document 13 Filed 07/19/06 Page 2 of 2