SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A lawsuit stemming from a damaged sidewalk resulted in a $5-million settlement.
Clifford Brown was awarded a $5-million settlement by the City of San Diego for serious injuries sustained following a 2014 bicycle accident, in which a rise in the sidewalk was blamed.
The city will pay $4,850,000 of the settlement, the largest settlement ever paid by San Diego for a sidewalk case, according to Berman & Riedel, LLP, the law firm representing Brown.
Brown's lawyers said the bicyclist was riding on College Avenue in September 2014, when his bike hit a damaged portion of the sidewalk, sending him 28 feet across the sidewalk. Brown reportedly landed on his head - causing him to lose consciousness - suffered multiple facial lacerations, and injuries to his neck, torso, and spine.
Brown injuries led to multiple health complications. His lawyers said he is considered incapable of functioning independently.
Legal counsel said the city was aware of the sidewalk hazard and dispatched a crew to inspect the sidewalk, but repairs were not completed for more than five months.
