Phil Oates faces $15.8 million verdict in fatal Granite Bay crash

A Placer County jury ordered Sacramento developer Phil Oates to pay $15.8 million after a civil trial. The unanimous verdict concludes a lawsuit filed by a widow following a fatal Granite Bay crash.

The 12-0 decision resolved the two-week civil trial on Monday, according to a news release from the plaintiff’s attorneys. The jury awarded the total damages to Miranda Flores.

The Placer County District Attorney never charged Oates with a crime. He also never received a traffic citation from law enforcement.

Flores filed the civil lawsuit against Oates, who is a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings. The crash killed her husband, retired California Highway Patrol officer Seamus Mulderrig.

Mulderrig rode his motorcycle west on Douglas Boulevard on the evening of May 14, 2024, the lawsuit stated. Oates drove a Cadillac in the opposite direction.

Oates turned left near Kingsgate Drive and collided with the motorcycle, according to the lawsuit. Flores’s attorneys said Oates testified he saw Mulderrig approaching before turning.

Mulderrig died from his injuries at the age of 59. His father previously served as a police officer in Sacramento.

Attorney Roger Dreyer of Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood Campora LLP represented Flores during the trial. Dreyer said the case focused on accountability.

“The reality is that Mr. Oates should have been criminally prosecuted. He saw Patrick coming and instead of waiting and allowing him to pass, he turned in front of him, costing Patrick his life.”

Dreyer stated the district attorney chose not to prosecute Oates. He added that the insurance carrier for Oates forced the lawsuit to trial.

Flores released a statement through her attorneys following the Monday verdict.

“I am so thankful to this jury for understanding and recognizing how remarkable my husband Patrick was and the depth of my loss. Patrick impacted our families and my life every day.”

Flores and Mulderrig married in 2014 after knowing each other for about a decade. Oates’ legal team did not respond to requests for comment.

Civil wrongful death trials allow surviving family members to seek financial compensation for losses. Jurors in these civil cases weigh evidence to determine liability rather than criminal guilt.

The civil proceedings took place in the Placer County court system near Granite Bay.