California Municipal Law Blog
category:
Streets and Sidewalks

State Supreme Court Expands Government Liability for Dangerous Condition of Public Property

by on August 17, 2015

posted in Damages, Public Works, Recent Court Decisions, Streets and Sidewalks,

A car driving along a road is sideswiped by another car, causing it to veer into a median and hit a tree.  Tragically, all but one of the car’s occupants is killed; the sole survivor is seriously injured.  Although the driver of the other car was clearly at fault, the city that maintained the tree is sued under the theory that the tree’s placement in the median was a “dangerous condition of public property.”  Can the city be held liable? Yes, says the State Supreme Court.  In Cordova v. City of Los Angeles, the Court held that local agencies may be liable for a dangerous condition of ... Continue Reading

tags: automobile accident, causation, city trees, medians, negligence, Public Beautification Programs,

Inverse Condemnation Liability Found When City-Owned Tree Falls on Private Property

by on August 20, 2014

posted in Inverse Condemnation, Public Works, Streets and Sidewalks,

If a tree falls in the middle of a forest when no one is around, one can debate whether it makes a sound.  But if a city-owned tree falls on private property and causes damage, the city’s liability cannot be debated.  So ruled a court on August 14, 2014.  ... Continue Reading

tags: Inverse Condemnation, Public Beautification Programs, Streets, Trees,