Almaden Resident

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Batra family slaps county, city with claim for $20 million

By Emilie Crofton

Puja and Mala Batra, whose parents Inder and Uma Batra, were killed by a speeding teen on Almaden Valley's Graystone Lane, have filed claims against both the city of San Jose and Santa Clara County.

In a claim filed on Jan. 15 by Richard Alexander, the attorney for the Batra daughters, he stated that the city and county failed to install stop signs, speed bumps, curve warnings and controls for speed on Graystone Lane after continuous complaints by neighbors.

"It's been six months since Inder and Uma Batra were killed, and neither the city nor the county have done anything to make the road safe," Alexander said.

The daughters are seeking $20 million in damages, $10 million each from the city and county. They hope their claims will create awareness and initiate changes in ensuring neighborhood safety.

"We just want to keep attention on the fact that nothing has changed even though it's known as an unsafe area," said Mala Batra. "We are real people and not just another statistic."

On July 23, 2007, 19-year-old Erik Satterstrom was speeding down Graystone Lane when he struck and killed the senior Batras, who were taking an evening stroll.

The car, a silver Nissan 350Z, then smashed into a nearby tree, killing Satterstrom and his 18-year-old passenger, Max Harding.

Witnesses told authorities the 2003 Nissan was traveling 80 mph on a road. The speed limit is 35.

City and county officials have 45 days to respond, after which the Batras can file lawsuits.

"We are saddened by the deaths of the four people on Graystone Lane, but they were not caused by the county," said Gwendolyn Mitchell, Santa Clara County's director of public affairs. "Their deaths were caused solely by the excessive speed of a teenage driver."

Batra said the family is upset with the way the city and county deal with speeders and unsafe neighborhoods.

"The whole way that unsafe areas are dealt with, that someone has to die before anything happens is just not proactive," Batra said.

Alexander agreed.

"Four people dying is pretty spectacular and that road has been used as a raceway for years," he said. "It has to come to an end."