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Seattle approves $29M settlement in Jaahnavi Kandula case
The city has resolved the Indian student's wrongful death lawsuit over the 2023 police crash.
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Anushka Pathak - Thu, 12, Feb 2026
- 10:02 EST
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Jaahnavi Kandula / Courtesy: GoFundMe
Seattle has agreed to pay $29 million to the family of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old Indian graduate student who was killed in 2023 after being struck by a speeding police patrol vehicle.
The settlement, announced Feb. 10, resolves a wrongful death lawsuit filed in 2024 by her parents, who had sought more than US$110 million in damages from the city and former officer Kevin Dave.
ALSO READ: From outrage to action: How we turned grief into change after Jhaanavi's death
The complaint alleged negligence in Dave’s driving, his hiring and retention, and unsafe infrastructure at the intersection where the collision occurred.
The case intensified after body camera footage from Officer Daniel Auderer captured him on a phone call with Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan. Auderer laughed and said, “Just write a check. $11,000. She was 26, anyway. She had limited value.”
He described the collision in dismissive terms before turning off the camera after realizing it was recording. Auderer later characterized the remarks as “gallows humor” used to cope with trauma.
Both Auderer and Dave were terminated from the police department following the incident.
Announcing the settlement, Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans said, “Jaahnavi Kandula’s death was heartbreaking, and the city hopes this financial settlement brings some sense of closure to the Kandula family. We also recognize that her loss has left unimaginable pain. Jaahnavi Kandula’s life mattered. It mattered to her family, to her friends, and to our community.”
The US$29 million agreement is among the largest settlements in Seattle’s history and follows widespread international criticism over the officers’ conduct and the handling of the case. Kandula’s family, based in Andhra Pradesh, India, has continued to mourn the loss of their daughter.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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