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Sidewalk accident leads to surgery, civil settlement

On Behalf of | Jun 22, 2017 | Premises Liability

A woman sued the city of Santa Monica after she tripped and fell on a sidewalk. The incident occurred in March of 2015, and the city just recently approved a settlement to the tune of $48,000. The woman suffered a dislocated shoulder as a result of the fall, and the injury required surgery.

What was discovered over the course of this lawsuit is that the city of Santa Monica has marked some 3,000 sidewalks that need to be repaired, and yet they have yet to be addressed. The sidewalk in question in this case was one of the 3,000 that had been marked. There was a two-inch differential between slabs of concrete on the sidewalk where the woman fell.

What makes this even more dubious is that an inspector reported before the incident that the differential between the concrete slabs at this particular location was only one inch. So did the inspector get it wrong? Or did the sidewalk change over time? Either way, the safety of the public was ignored here as the sidewalk was clearly marked in need of repair and yet nothing was done.

Sidewalk accidents can have detrimental, life-changing consequences. You wouldn’t think of trip-and-falls on the sidewalk in this manner, but they really can be devastating. It is made even worse when clear negligence is present, and that seems to be the case here. The settlement will help this woman deal with the pain and suffering she endured.

Source: Santa Monica Daily Press, “Woman wins slip-and-fall lawsuit against City,” Kate Cagle, May 15, 2017

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