"A special education teacher in Whittier who suffered serious injuries in a fall on a local city sidewalk was awarded $.7.5 million Tuesday, Oct. 14, by a Los Angeles County jury. Attorneys for Justine Gurrola announced on Friday, Oct. 17, that the city had agreed to a $7.5 million settlement during the damages phase of a five-week jury trial for failing to fix an upraised sidewalk that caused Gurrola to trip and sustain severe head and bodily injuries."
"The jury unanimously decided that the city of Whittier was at fault for the teacher's injuries during the first phase of the trial, according Nick Rowley, co-founder of Trial Lawyers for Justice and one of the attorneys that represented Gurrola. The City of Whittier failed in its most basic duty to keep its residents safe and cared more about its trees than its people, Rowley said in a statement."
"Rowley said the city ignored complaints about upraised sidewalks for years and did not implement an inspection system until it was too late. Public safety isn't just police and firefighters; it's ensuring public right-of-ways are maintained to prevent injury or worse, he added. Waiting until people are seriously hurt or killed before fixing long-standing dangerous conditions is wrong."
Justine Gurrola, a special education teacher, suffered severe head and bodily injuries after tripping on an upraised sidewalk on Feb. 25, 2018 in the 5900 block of El Rancho Drive while walking with her nephew. Her foot struck an uplift caused by tree roots pushing up the sidewalk concrete from underneath, causing her to fall face-first and reach out her arm to break the fall; doctors later diagnosed a fractured wrist. A Los Angeles County jury unanimously found the City of Whittier liable in the trial's liability phase. The city agreed to a $7.5 million settlement during the damages phase after attorneys said the city ignored complaints and delayed implementing an inspection system.
Read at www.whittierdailynews.com
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