LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Panish Shea & Boyle LLP and Farar & Lewis LLP announce that the parents of Nicholas Trela have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Justin Nathaniel Mikita for recklessly causing the death of their beloved 23-year-old son, Nicholas, in an auto vs. motorcycle collision on November 19, 2014. The Plaintiffs, which also include the Estate of Nicholas Trela, are represented in the lawsuit by the law firms of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP and Farar & Lewis LLP.
The Complaint states that on November 19, 2014, at approximately 5:00 p.m., Nicholas Trela was safely driving his 1976 Honda motorcycle westbound on Los Feliz Boulevard towards the intersection of Los Feliz Boulevard and Catalina Street. At the same time, Mikita was driving his Audi passenger vehicle eastbound on Los Feliz Boulevard, approaching the same intersection from the opposite direction. The Complaint further states that rather than reaching the center of the intersection and waiting to safely turn left onto Catalina, Mikita cut the corner of Catalina and recklessly and illegally turned left in front of Nicholas, who was proceeding straight on Los Feliz Boulevard and had the right-of-way. Mikita violently collided into Nicholas, causing him to suffer catastrophic injuries which led to his death. The Complaint further alleges that Mikita's conduct was negligent and reckless and done with a conscious and willful disregard for public safety. Mikita, himself a lawyer, is also a producer and actor and is frequently visible in high profile social circles.
The death of Nicholas is a senseless and catastrophic tragedy, ending the life of an incredible young man. Nicholas was deeply loved and respected by his family and friends. He was a caring, supportive and loving son to his parents and had already led an exemplary life, including volunteering for those less fortunate, excelling academically at Seton Hall University and using his creativity and ingenuity to develop various products and inventions. He will be forever missed by his family and many friends.
The Plaintiffs have filed this lawsuit not just to seek justice for Nicholas Trela, but also to ensure that the criminal prosecution of Justin Mikita serves as a reminder to others that a gross disregard of our traffic safety laws and recklessness towards the safety of others can result in a senseless and catastrophic loss of human life.
Richard Trela; Lisa Dawn Johonnesson: The Estate Of Nicholas Trela,
By And Through Its Successor-In-Interest, Richard Trela v. Justin
Nathaniel Mikita
Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No.
BC571001
