Porter Ranch Megachurch Sued By LA Councilman's Daughter Over Parking Structure Crash

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The daughter of a Los Angeles city councilman is suing a Porter Ranch megachurch over their parking structure, where she was hurt in a crash.

Mitchell Englander's wife, Jane, brought the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday on behalf of the couple's daughter, Lauren, who is a minor.

The lawsuit names Shepherd of the Hills Church, the Valley Outreach Synagogue and the driver – Lindsay Abbott, who is described in the complaint as a minor with a poor driving record – as defendants and alleges negligence, negligent entrustment and premises liability. It seeks unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, Lauren Englander was a guest at an event hosted by the church on Sept. 5, 2013.

"Plaintiff suffered a serious injury as a result of Abbott driving plaintiff off the edge of the second floor parking structure into a planter on the first level," the lawsuit stated.

There were no signs warning about the edge of the second floor of the still-incomplete structure on Rinaldi Street and there were no procedures in place to warn guests of the inherent danger, according to the suit.

The defendants also knew that Abbott had a "poor driving history" and was a minor with a driver's permit, the suit stated.

Lauren Englander had to seek medical help and will have to continue to do so in the future," according to the suit.

"Plaintiff also has suffered and will continue to suffer great pain, anguish and loss of enjoyment of life," the lawsuit alleged, and she also has been unable to "attend to her usual employment duties" and has lost earnings as a result of the accident.

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