Latest news with #Heravi
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Newsweek
Los Angeles Has an Expensive Sidewalk Problem
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. 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.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Jury gives $3 million to man injured on LA sidewalk. City still hasn't fixed it
A Los Angeles jury has awarded wedding photographer Payman Heravi more than $3 million in damages after he suffered a serious injury from tripping on a damaged sidewalk in Woodland Hills back in 2019. The photographer tripped on a broken sidewalk in 2019 (Representational image) The verdict was delivered last week, leaving Heravi emotional in court. While the sum might suggest a reason to celebrate, he says the reality is far from joyous. "Right now, (the) pain is a lot," Heravi was quoted as saying by ABC7. "Right now, I can't use my shoulder." The incident that changed his career In December 2019, Heravi was walking along Ventura Boulevard when he glanced at a text on his phone. At that moment, he stumbled over a several-inch uplift in the pavement. His attorneys argued that the sidewalk's severe unevenness was well known to the city, and that employees had seen the damage but failed to make repairs. "That should be fixed in a reasonable manner," his 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." The injury left Heravi's left arm permanently limited in movement, despite three surgeries and years of physical therapy. He says he can no longer work as a wedding photographer. Jury's decision and the ongoing hazard The jury awarded him $3,028,026 for his losses and suffering. Despite the verdict, the section of sidewalk where the accident occurred still has not been repaired. (Also read: Sikh man, 70, brutally attacked with golf club in Los Angeles; police make one arrest) A costly problem for Los Angeles Heravi's case is just one example of the city's mounting costs from damaged sidewalks. In the past five years, Los Angeles has paid out more than $86 million to settle lawsuits linked to broken or uneven pavement. Recently, 7 On Your Side Investigates reported on an 85-year-old woman's eight-year battle to get the sidewalk outside her Fairfax District home fixed. Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia has warned that liability lawsuits are draining public funds. In the most recent fiscal year, the city spent a record $286 million on such payouts—compared to just $35 million two decades ago.
