San Diego

Included among the most expensive lawsuits and claims paid by the City of San Diego in the first half of 2011:

Read the story

  • $1.8 million to settle a wrongful-death suit brought by the family of a 58-year-old motorcyclist who was killed in April 2009. The family claimed the city failed to install signage or a traffic signal despite repeated accidents at the location.
  • $982,450 for legal fees of five former city officials targeted by the Securities and Exchange Commission during the era of pension-related investigations. The officials are Michael Uberuaga, Mary Vattimo, Ed Ryan, Patricia Frazier and Terri Webster.
  • $936,131 in fees to lawyer Charles LiMandri, who represented four San Diego firefighters who sued the city because they were forced to march in the Gay Pride Parade. A jury awarded the plaintiffs just $34,300.
  • $448,000 to resident Lawrence Fournier to settle a property damage claim for a sewer backup in Fournier’s home.
  • $375,000 to Alton Crowley, who was struck by a police cruiser while walking in a crosswalk.
  • $285,000 to residents John Trunkey and Greg Bishop for water-related property damage in 2006.
  • $225,000 to the family of 17-year-old Noe Rojas, who was fatally shot by police in 2007.

To contact the newsroom, email contact@inewsource.org. To contact a specific reporter, see our Staff page. Visit our Byline Policy for more information.