LA man awarded seven-figure payout after tripping on pavement that's been uneven for years

Daily Mail​

6 days ago

A Los Angeles man was awarded a $3million payout after he tripped over a damaged sidewalk in 2019.
Payman Heravi, 59, tripped on the uneven sidewalk on Ventura Boulevard in December, 2019, which left his left arm not fully functional, according to court documents.
He was looking down at his phone to check a text and tripped on an uplift that was several inches off the sidewalk - which has still not been fixed.
Heravi broke down in tears as he heard the jury's decision last week, as reported by ABC 7.
'Right now, [the] pain is a lot,' he said after the judgment. 'Right now, I can't use my shoulder.'
Heravi was a wedding photographer but said that after three surgeries and years pf physical therapy, he is unable to make a living.
He was awarded a total of $3,028,026 for his injuries.
The uplift that was several inches off the sidewalk has still not been fixed years later
Heravo's lawyers successfully argued that city employees knew the sidewalk was damaged but did nothing to repair it.
'That should be fixed in a reasonable manner,' Heravi's attorney Max Lee said.
'If that happened in this case, Mr Heravi would still be able to do what he loves and not be in constant pain every day.'
As ABC noted, the city of Los Angeles has paid out over $86million over the last five years in lawsuits related to injuries caused by damaged sidewalks.
Meanwhile the city spent a record $286 million in liability payouts in the fiscal year that ended July 1, per the controller's office.
'Our top concern is that members of our community are continuing to get hurt or even killed due to the City's failures,' a spokesperson for the Los Angeles city controller, told Newsweek.
'Year after year, taxpayers have to foot the bill for liability payouts that come straight out of the City's General Fund–the same fund that is our resource for ensuring we can pave roads, fix broken street lights, repair streets, and provide a safe home for all Angelenos.'
The city of Los Angeles has paid out over $86million over the last five years in lawsuits related to injuries caused by damaged sidewalks
The office added that 'Liability payouts are a big reason that the City is currently in a fiscal crisis and in the process of laying off employees.'
'To reduce liabilities and improve services over the long run, the City needs to better manage its risks before they lead to injuries.
'Our office is investigating the City's practices in reducing harm and liability payouts.
'Last week, we launched an audit of the City's Risk Management practices,' the office concluded.