A Placer County jury began hearing opening statements Tuesday in a $30 million wrongful-death lawsuit against Sacramento Kings minority owner and real estate magnate Phil Oates, stemming from a 2024 traffic collision in Granite Bay that killed retired California Highway Patrol officer Patrick Mulderrig. The case, filed by Mulderrig's widow, Miranda Flores, will ask jurors to decide how much money she should receive, not whether Oates is liable for the crash.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Mulderrig was riding a red Harley-Davidson motorcycle west on Douglas Boulevard when Oates, driving a Cadillac, turned left in front of him. Flores is seeking damages for the loss of her husband and for his pre-death pain and suffering, though the newspaper reports she is not seeking punitive damages against Oates and is not asking the jury to determine liability, since that question is not in dispute in the trial.
What Happened After the Crash
Oates cooperated with police and took responsibility for the incident, the Bee reports. A sobriety test showed he had not been drinking or using drugs at the time of the collision, and he was not issued a ticket or cited for a traffic violation, according to the same account.
A police officer referred the matter to the Placer County District Attorney's Office, which considered prosecution for misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter without gross negligence, per the newspaper's report. The station's report does not indicate how that review was ultimately resolved.
Jury Selection and Opening Statements
Jury selection took place at the Maple Street Courthouse in Auburn, where lawyers for both Flores and Oates seated a main panel of eight men and four women, the outlet notes. Lawyers also planned to interview potential alternate jurors Tuesday, the same day opening statements were expected to begin.
Beyond his ownership stake in the Kings, Oates hosts the Phil Oates Celebrity Golf Classic, according to the report. Mulderrig, for his part, had retired from the California Highway Patrol before his death in the crash.
Court Resources in Placer County
The trial is proceeding through Placer County Superior Court, which allows the public to search court calendars and view public case information online, according to the Placer County Superior Court. The court's Traffic Division separately handles citations and tickets written by law enforcement, and notes that some traffic and non-traffic violations require a court appearance, per the Placer County Superior Court Traffic Division.
No account has detailed the exact time or precise location specifics of the 2024 collision beyond Granite Bay and Douglas Boulevard, nor has the case number, presiding judge, or attorneys involved been made public in reporting on the trial. It remains unclear how the jury will ultimately resolve the amount, if any, owed to Flores as the trial proceeds in Auburn.
