Legal expert says Perkins family lawsuit may take several years to reach full resolution.
The family of Steve Perkins laid out their expectations for their civil rights lawsuit Tuesday.
They say it's all about ensuring that what happened to Steve Perkins does not happen again.
WAAY 31 met with a legal expert to have him explain the 18-page document.
Attorney Marcus Helstowski says the Perkins family may be in for a long road ahead.
"They're obviously asking for monetary damages, but as I read the complaint, they're also asking for change. They're asking that the city of Decatur make some changes to their policies and procedures so that something like what happened to Mr. Perkins doesn't happen again," says Helstowski.Â
In the lawsuit, the Perkins family says they're suing not only the city of Decatur but the officers involved in Steve Perkins' death, the tow truck driver, tow truck company and the bank they are allegedly connected with.
Helstowski says the length of this case also depends on whether or not an officer is prosecuted and charged criminally.
He says this alone could add years to the case.
"I don't anticipate the city of Decatur rolling over and paying monetary damages. I would lean toward more like several years until there's any resolution to this case," said Helstowski.
Meanwhile, the lawyer for the Perkins family, Lee Merritt, says they're willing to wait for what they think is right.
"We plan to go after a historic number, not only for Decatur or Alabama, but for the country. That is our goal to maximize the recovery for this family. And if that cripples or slows down the police department, if that money comes out of the police department's budget or causes members of this community to say that we need to reevaluate our leadership, then that is the goal," said Merritt.
The Alabama Law Code says when suing a municipality like the city of Decatur, the plaintiff can only receive up to $100,000 in legal reparations.
Yet, the Perkins family is suing more than one person in this case and Helstowski says the $100,000 limit can be challenged.
He also says every case is different and you cannot put a capped price of $100,000 or any price on someone's life.
"Maybe we need to start getting more in line with the rest of the country to properly value the cost of somebody's life and to place a value on wrongful acts of law enforcement," said Helstowski.
