Council OKs $200,000 for Man Injured on Broken Sidewalk

An outraged Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved a $200,000 settlement for a jogger who dislocated his knee after falling on a broken sidewalk in South Los Angeles, but vowed to launch a citywide program to fix problem sidewalks as part of next year’s budget.

Ronnie Hodges, a motorcycle mechanic, sued the city after his 1994 accident, charging that the night darkness was compounded by a tree blocking the street light that prevented him from seeing that overgrown tree roots had forced the sidewalk to jut up more than a foot. City records show that residents had complained about the sidewalk several times, and that repairs were made in 1987.

In a report to the council recommending the settlement, the city attorney’s office described the sidewalk as “grossly elevated.” Council members voted unanimously to pay the $200,000, but not before a heated debate about the larger problem of tree roots and sidewalks citywide.

Councilman Mike Feuer said it would cost about $375 million to fix all the city’s problem sidewalks. The city pays more than $1 million a year in cases in which people trip and fall.

Fixing sidewalks is the responsibility of the property owner, according to city officials. But the city can be held at least partly responsible in court if residents have lodged complaints.