Los Angeles Has an Expensive Sidewalk Problem
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A Los Angeles jury has awarded a wedding photographer millions of dollars after he tripped on a severely uplifted sidewalk on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills in December 2019.
The decision awarded Payman Heravi more than $3 million after he tripped over on the sidewalk, leaving his left arm not fully functional.
Newsweek contacted the Los Angeles City Controller's office for more information on the decision via email.
Why It Matters
Los Angeles faces a large fiscal and public-safety concern, with growing legal payouts tied to failing public infrastructure diverting tax dollars that could be used for repairs.
What To Know
A jury found that city employees had seen the damaged sidewalk but had not repaired it and awarded Payman Heravi $3,028,026 for his injuries. Heravi said his left arm was not fully functional after three surgeries and years of therapy.
He told the jury that he tripped over a several-inch uplift in the sidewalk as he was walking along and checking a message on his phone.
Heravi said the injury meant he would no longer be able to do his job as a wedding photographer. "Right now, the pain is a lot. Right now, I can't use my shoulder," he told ACB7.
Stock image: A wide angle view of the bustling intersection at West Fifth Street and South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles on December 3, 2024.
Stock image: A wide angle view of the bustling intersection at West Fifth Street and South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles on December 3, 2024.
Getty Images
City audits have shown a steep climb in liability spending in the city. The Los Angeles City Controller's office reported that the city spent an estimated $286 million in liability payouts in the fiscal year that recently ended, and the controller's office said more than $9 million was paid in the first month of the new fiscal year.
Diana Chang, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles city controller, told Newsweek: "Our top concern is that members of our community are continuing to get hurt or even killed due to the City's failures.
"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.
"Liability payouts are a big reason that the City is currently in a fiscal crisis and in the process of laying off employees. For the fiscal year that just ended (FY2025), the City set a new record, paying out over $286 million for liabilities, when it had only budgeted for $87 million for total liabilities.
"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."
What People Are Saying
Max Lee, Payman Heravi's personal injury attorney, said: "[The sidewalk] should be fixed in a reasonable manner. 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."
What Happens Next
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had directed staff to develop a multiyear capital plan to coordinate maintenance and improvements across departments, a process the Los Angeles Times editorial said must be done transparently to let residents hold officials accountable.
ABC7 reported that as of Wednesday, the sidewalk at the center of Heravi's case had not been fixed.
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Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. It's Noah Goldberg, with assists from Julia Wick, Seema Mehta and David Zahniser, giving you the latest on city and county government. Days after the Trump administration's mass immigration raids came to Los Angeles, City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado started looking for money to help the city's undocumented residents. In a June 10 motion, she asked City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo to detail options for finding at least $1 million for RepresentLA, which provides legal services for undocumented Angelenos facing deportation. A week later, an official from Szabo's office said they were 'unable to identify eligible funding sources' for the $1 million, which would come on top of $1 million the city has already allocated to RepresentLA. 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