The City of San Diego will pay a cyclist $4.85 million after he suffered serious injuries while riding his bike on a sidewalk with uneven pavement.
In an accident in 2014, Clifford Brown was riding his bike on College Avenue in Del Cerro around 1 p.m. when he hit a portion of uneven pavement.
He was launched more than 20 feet in the air and suffered spinal injuries and head injuries. Several teeth were also knocked out.
Through an attorney, he filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego.
The lawsuit claimed the City was responsible for the poorly maintained sidewalk in Del Cerro.
Tuesday, the City of San Diego will ratify the settlement.
In a statement through a spokesperson, the City of San Diego said: “the settlement isn’t about making someone rich, but about making sure Brown is able to pay for his medical expenses for the rest of his life."
Local
Local cyclists say they still see dangerous cracks and uneven pavement on City streets.
“Via Capari, the descent off of Mount Soledad has a lot of very unsafe rises in pavement, cracks,and potholes. You know there are a lot of areas like that around the city," said bicyclist Stephen Roehrs.
Roehrs, the owner of Adams Avenue Bicycles, said he has also seen more and more bicyclists riding dangerously.
"People driving and using cell phones is a huge risk for bicyclists," he added.
A personal injury attorney not associated with this case said city officials' efforts to save money during the Great Recession are likely coming back to bite them in the wallet.
“When you slash the funding and you have more areas that are in disrepair, you're going to have more injuries," said Nathan Cowan.
