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Man suing city after nearly being killed by falling tree

A man is suing the city of San Diego after losing the use of his legs when a palm tree fell onto his Mission Hills home in January 2010. The incident nearly killed him, and he may have to have his legs amputated.

The man’s lawsuit contends that the accident is rooted in budget cuts to the city’s tree trimming and inspection services. The suit argues that had these services continued, inspectors would have found the tree dangerous and taken measures to have it fixed or removed.

City officials disagree, claiming that the city can only be held liable for dangerous conditions that are already known. They hold that because no one made any reports that the tree was diseased or in otherwise poor condition, there is no way they could have known it was a hazard and therefore the city should not be held liable for the accident.

The man’s attorneys estimate that his lost wages and medical costs could total as high as $8 million. His mobility now comes from a motorized chair, and he cannot care for his 12-year-old autistic son as well as he used to be able to.

The case is set to go to trial in San Diego Superior Court on Monday.

While this man was injured at his own home, being hurt as a result of dangerous conditions on another person’s property can be grounds for a premises liability claim. If you have sustained an injury due to someone’s neglect of a hazard on their property, a premises liability lawyer may be able to help you seek the compensation you need to pay your medical costs and make up for any lost wages.

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2 injured in accident caused by suspected drunk driver

This weekend, 2 people were injured in an accident which police believe was caused by a drunk driver.  Police arrested the 54-year old driver of a 1998 Ford Contour on the suspicion of driving under the influence after he drove off of a 15-foot embankment, injuring the 2 passengers in his vehicle.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the driver was traveling eastbound on Wienert Road when he failed to turn the vehicle around a curve, locking its brakes, and sending the vehicle down a dirt embankment and into the ground.

The 2 injured passengers are from Herber, California.  A family member was able to arrive at the scene of the accident and take them to a San Diego hospital before emergency crews could get there.

One of the passengers, 49, was released from the hospital on Saturday.  The other injured passenger, 34, was reported to have suffered major facial injuries.

If you or someone you love has suffered broken bones in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, contact the San Diego broken bones lawyers of Ritter & Associates at 619-296-0123 to learn more about your rights.


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