Damaged sidewalks cost city big bucks last year

The City of San Diego paid out more than $5.3 million last year for injuries and property damage caused by broken sidewalks.

Public records indicate there were 35 claims submitted to the city from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017; of those, 20 were litigated. The remainder were settled.

The majority of the money was paid to Clifford Brown, a cyclist who suffered severe injuries after hitting a broken sidewalk in Del Cerro and getting thrown in the air. The city paid Brown $4.85 million.

Other large payments included a $98,000 payment to a woman who fell on a raised sidewalk in Bankers Hill, $80,000, and a number of $50,000 settlements, one of which went to the wife of former mayor Roger Hedgecock who ruptured her breast implant after tripping on a Little Italy sidewalk.

Those who chose to accept payments without filing lawsuits received far less payments. The 15 claims paid by Risk Management totaled $37,840.

In recent years, city officials have hoped to address San Diego's broken and dangerous sidewalks and streets. During the past two years, the city has spent nearly $9 million to fix crumbling sidewalks, but apparenty the repairs aren't happening fast enough.