Topline:
L.A. County has announced a $828 million settlement for a second batch of civil claims filed under AB 218, a law that extended the statute of limitations for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue abusers.
What’s the settlement for? It covers more than 400 cases for people who said they were abused as children while in the county’s care. It also adds to the historic $4 billion settlement earlier this year for similar claims.
Fraud allegations: The most recent agreement comes as the county recently launches an investigation into some AB 218 cases filed by a law firm suspected of fraud and paying plaintiffs in response to an L.A. Times report. The claims are primarily tied to DTLA Law Group, which denies any wrongdoing. County attorneys and retired judges tapped as independent allocators are vetting both settlement groups for fraud. Officials say plaintiffs who falsely filed won’t receive a payout.
What’s next: The settlement has to be approved by the County Claims Board and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. The county still faces about 2,500 more sex abuse claims.