San Francisco Settles Public Property Injury Case
Table of Contents
Case Background
A personal injury lawsuit filed against the City and County of San Francisco concluded in a settlement in May 2025, just months before the scheduled trial date. The Plaintiff, Alyonik Hrushow, brought the action after an incident she alleged stemmed from a dangerous condition on public property. The complaint named the City and County of San Francisco as Defendants, along with the San Francisco Public Works department. The core of the lawsuit was the municipality’s alleged failure to maintain safe public land, which Hrushow claimed had caused severe and serious injuries.
Cause
The incident that led to the lawsuit was a personal injury sustained by Alyonik Hrushow on public property. The complaint categorized the matter as a non-vehicle-related injury and property damage, suggesting the incident involved a fall, structural failure, or other hazard on municipal infrastructure. Hrushow claimed a Dangerous Condition of Public Property had existed, asserting that the Defendants were negligent because they either created the hazard or had received knowledge of it but failed to take corrective action or provide adequate warning. Hrushow contended that this defect had created a substantial and foreseeable risk of the type of injury she suffered.
Injury
Alyonik Hrushow suffered severe and serious injuries as a result of the incident. The complaint stated that these injuries affected her "health, strength, and activity," and caused her substantial physical pain and emotional suffering. Hrushow maintained that these effects had continued and would continue into the future, requiring ongoing medical care and attention.
Damages Sought
Hrushow sought financial relief from the City and County of San Francisco, claiming both general and special damages. The demand for General Damages covered the subjective losses of pain, suffering, and emotional distress she endured and would continue to endure. The claim for Special Damages focused on specific, measurable financial losses, particularly medical expenses and future medical expenses, all of which the Plaintiff intended to prove at trial. Hrushow also sought to recover the costs she incurred while prosecuting the suit.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
The lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, Case Number CGC-24-617659, involved a standard litigation process where the City vigorously defended itself against the allegations before agreeing to a final settlement.
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Alyonik Hrushow
· Counsel for Plaintiff: James Steven Reed | Michael R. White
Defendant: City And County Of Sanfrancisco | City Of San Francisco | County Of San Francisco | San Francisco Public Works | Does 1 Through 25, Inclusive
· Counsel for Defendant: Katherine B. Bearman | David Chiu | Jennifer E. Choi
Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel
Claims
The Plaintiff’s entire case rested on a single, comprehensive claim: Negligence for a Dangerous Condition of Public Property.
Hrushow’s legal team established that the City had owned and controlled the public property where the incident happened. They asserted that the City had created or allowed an unsafe condition to exist, a condition which violated California's Government Code rules regarding public safety. The Plaintiff maintained that the City had a duty to address the hazard either by repairing it or providing a clear warning but that the municipality’s failure to do so directly resulted in Hrushow’s serious injuries.
Defense
The City and County of San Francisco’s counsel submitted a lengthy Answer that contested every major factual allegation in the complaint. Their defense strategy focused on shifting the responsibility and invoking broad statutory protections available to government entities.
First, the defense argued that the Plaintiff had failed to state a cause of action, suggesting the complaint lacked the necessary legal elements to proceed. They aggressively asserted that Hrushow’s injuries were caused entirely or in part by her own contributory negligence or assumption of the risk, effectively blaming the victim for the accident.
The City further relied heavily on Government Code Immunities, arguing that various statutes protected their discretionary actions, or failures to act, from liability. These defenses included arguments that the City did not own, possess, or control the specific property defect, and that the damages were entirely caused by the acts of third parties over whom the City had no control. The defense maintained that the Plaintiff had also failed to mitigate her damages, claiming she had not taken sufficient steps to minimize her losses after the injury occurred.
Settlement
The legal dispute concluded when the parties filed a Notice of Settlement of Entire Action with the Court on May 15, 2025. This action signaled that Hrushow and the City had finalized an agreement, bringing the matter to a close well before the trial that was originally set for December 2025.
The parties formalized a settlement amounting to $225,000. This payment provided Alyonik Hrushow with certain and immediate compensation for her severe injuries, medical expenses, and the pain and suffering she endured. By agreeing to this financial resolution, the City and County of San Francisco avoided the costs and unpredictable outcome of a full jury trial regarding public liability. Upon finalizing the payment, Hrushow's counsel committed to filing a request to dismiss the entire case, thereby ending the litigation against the municipality.
Court Documents