Former Dean Perschbacher Comments on KDND Wrongful Death Trial
Former Dean Rex Perschbacher commented for the Sacramento Bee on the wrongful death trial that will determine whether Philadelphia-based Entercom Communications Corporation and the general managers of its Sacramento subsidiary are responsible for the death of Jennifer Strange, who died after participating in a water-drinking contest on the KDND 107.9 "Morning Rave" program.
The Bee article reports that the case will likely focus on "foreseeability" and whether the company and its management should have foreseen the possibility that a participant in the contest could die.
"Running contests and doing goofy promotions is part of the radio business," Perschbacher said. "I think they're going to have a tough time claiming this is conduct that is unforeseeable and beyond the scope of what we expect these employees to do."
Professor Rex Perschbacher was Dean of the Law School from 1998 to 2008, and before that served as Associate Dean from 1993-1998. He has taught at UC Davis since 1981 with an emphasis on the areas of Civil Procedure, Professional Responsibility, and Clinical teaching. He received the law school's Distinguished Teaching Award in 1992, and a Special Citation Affirmative Action and Diversity Achievement Award in 2001.