“Narcos” Locations Manager, 37, Killed in Mexico | 9-18-2017

Carlos Muñoz Portal, a location manager for the Netflix series “Narcos,” was found dead in Mexico, near Hidalgo. He was 37.

It was reported that Portal died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. There may have been a chase, but no other evidence or information has come forward. The area in which he was collecting photographs is known to be an exceptionally dangerous area; gang-related activity runs rampant, and the state has the highest homicide rate in Mexico.

Portal worked as a location scout, snapping photographs of many places throughout Mexico and the southern United States. He worked on various feature films, including “Man on Fire” and “Fast and Furious.”

“Narcos,” the series Portal was scouting for, tells the tale of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Portal was searching for filming locations in Mexico to help capture the realism of the show.

The Basis of Negligence
If Portal were ordered to Hidalgo by his boss or production company, there is a chance that a lawsuit can be filed against either one. A wrongful death claim citing gross negligence may be enacted. This is due to the fact that his superiors willingly allowed and ordered him to work in an area that was known to have extremely high rates of murder and violence; the dangers of working in such an area should have been considered when issuing Portal this task.

The subject matter of the show has attracted many types of people, and for some, it is not merely a television series, but a way of life. When outsiders enter the drug world, they may be viewed as liabilities who need to be silenced lest they give away important information, even if they had no intention of doing so at all. Members of the drug world, gangs, and the cartel cannot take risks in potentially allowing informants to walk free.

This was a fact of life, albeit a dark one, that Netflix should have been aware of in asking Portal to perform his duties. While some occupations require the workers to be in dangerous situations, these workers are usually fairly compensated for their risks. For example, there are those who work on nature documentaries who must be in the wilderness or jungle with little to protect them from wild animals and inclement weather. There are videographers who skydive alongside other people in order to film the experience. Jobs like these exist everywhere, and danger is just a fact of the occupation. However, a locations manager such as Portal should not be exposed to the dangers of kidnapping, robbery, and homicide. His job duties entailed finding locations for filming purposes, not traversing gang territory.

As a result, a wrongful death claim can be filed, but punitive damages may also be sought. Punitive damages are a difficult form of compensation to earn due to their nature.

In criminal cases, defendants can be given jail time for their actions. In civil cases, however, there is no possibility for jail time, just monetary compensation to be given to the plaintiff. Punitive damages are awarded in lieu of jail time when the actions were carried out with the intent to cause harm or with gross negligence, or disregard for the well-being of another. These damages are meant to punish the defendant by taking even more monetary compensation from them in an effort to prevent them from carrying out similar actions in the future.

In the case of Portal, it can be argued that his employer placed him in a position of potentially huge danger, and the risk was made into a reality, resulting in his murder. Awarding punitive damages would not be unheard of in this case, as his employer must be dissuaded from performing similar actions in the future and placing more lives in danger.

Only a skilled attorney can argue for punitive damages, however. Many courts, judges, and jurors see them as excessive, especially if the defendant is already paying for medical expenses, lost wages, lost or damaged property, and pain and suffering. It must be proven that the grossly negligent actions of the employer caused the accident, injury, or death to occur, and he should be held fittingly responsible.

Normandie Law Firm: Here for You
Our team of attorneys at Normandie Law Firm can help you receive justice and fair compensation for the death of a loved one due to the negligent actions of another party, whether it were an employer, a business, or another individual. We will file a wrongful death claim on your behalf and seek punitive damages against the responsible party. You should not have to be monetarily damaged in the wake of a death – that can only exacerbate the healing process.

We can help you earn additional expenses that will cover funeral costs, loss of future income, loss of consortium, and more. The absence of a person cannot be filled with monetary gain, but we can help you make sure that there are few expenses accrued in the wake of his or her passing. Our primary concern is your well-beingsel and health, and mental health is equally important as physical. For this reason, Normandie Law Firm is committed to helping you through the grieving and legal processes.

FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION: Call us today for a free legal consultation. We will discuss your case and what we expect you to earn if you pursue legal action. You are invited to ask us any questions you have and we will answer them to the best of our abilities; we believe that all our clients should be properly informed when they make legal decisions. Additionally, we offer a zero fee guarantee on our cases – you pay no out of pocket expenses for legal representation, and we receive money only if we win your case. Our fees come from the settlement itself and not your savings, so you suffer no economic loss at all. If we lose, you owe us nothing.

For more information on wrongful death claims and punitive damages, call Normandie Law Firm today.