Phil Oates ordered to pay $15.8 million to widow of CHP officer killed in crash

A Placer County jury has awarded Miranda Flores $15.8 million following the death of her husband, Patrick Seamus Mulderrig, in a May 2024 motorcycle collision. The crash involved Phil Oates, a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings and chairman of the real estate firm Buzz Oates.

The incident occurred in Granite Bay when Mulderrig, a 59-year-old retired California Highway Patrol officer, was riding his Harley-Davidson Sportster on Douglas Boulevard. According to police reports, Oates was driving a Cadillac and turned left into the roadway, colliding with the motorcycle. While Oates was not found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and faced no criminal charges or citations from the district attorney, the civil jury reached a unanimous 12-0 verdict.

The $15.8 million award includes $2.3 million for pain and suffering, $2.5 million in economic damages for the loss of Mulderrig’s pension and financial contributions, and $11 million for the loss of companionship. This amount is significantly less than the $45 million Flores originally requested, but it is four times the amount suggested by Oates’ legal counsel.