The parents of four Pepperdine students struck and killed on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in 2023 , as well as a fifth student who was injured, filed lawsuits Tuesday against the state of California, Caltrans, the California Coastal Commission, Los Angeles County and Malibu.
The separately filed Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuits contend that all of the entities share liability for the allegedly dangerous roadway design on that portion of PCH and for not implementing live-saving safety measures.
“For far too long, Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu has been and continues to be unsafe for pedestrians and drivers alike,” the plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a joint statement. “As a result of the defendants’ complacency, far too many lives have been needlessly lost.”
The goal of the lawsuits is to force the government entities to “do what they should have done a long time ago so no more lives are needlessly taken,” according to the joint plaintiffs’ attorneys’ statement.
A Caltrans representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.