A Southern California teacher has been awarded a record-setting $7.5 million settlement after a sidewalk fall in Whittier changed her life — and possibly the city’s public safety standards — forever.
Justine Gurrola, a special education teacher, tripped on an uneven sidewalk in February 2018 while walking through Whittier, a city in Los Angeles County, per NBC4.
What followed was a years-long legal battle that culminated in what her attorney says is the largest sidewalk defect settlement in California history.
A Walk That Ended in Disaster
According to court documents filed in the Superior Court of California, Gurrola fell forward after tripping on a sidewalk that had been uplifted — reportedly due to overgrown tree roots.
The accident left her with serious injuries, including a broken wrist, elbow, and nose. She also sustained injuries to her knees, neck, and back, and suffered a mild traumatic brain injury.
Her legal team added that she later required arthroscopic knee surgery on both knees and has lived in chronic pain since the fall.
“The things I loved to do I could no longer [do]. It made me really sad,” Gurrola told NBC 4. “Whittier is known for its trees. We have beautiful trees. [...] But, unfortunately, sometimes that can be unsafe.”
Jury Assigns Full Blame to the City of Whittier
After a five-week trial, a jury found the City of Whittier entirely at fault. The city chose to settle on Tuesday, October 14, with a payout of $7.5 million.
“We settled the damages portion of the case for $7.5 million, which is the largest sidewalk defect trip-and-fall settlement in California State history,” Gurrola’s attorney Nick Rowley told PEOPLE.
Rowley said the verdict was unanimous and held the city 100% liable for the accident.
City Allegedly Ignored Warnings for Years
According to Rowley, the city had long been aware of the risks posed by raised sidewalks but failed to act.
“The city had ignored complaints about upraised sidewalks caused by tree roots for years,” he told Whittier Daily News, adding that the city lacked proper inspection protocols to identify and repair the hazards.
“Public safety isn’t just police and firefighters; it’s ensuring public right-of-ways are maintained to prevent injury or worse. Waiting until people are seriously hurt or killed before fixing long-standing dangerous conditions is wrong,” Rowley said.
“It Wasn’t Just About Money,” Gurrola Says
For Gurrola, the lawsuit wasn’t only about financial compensation. She told NBC 4 that her motivation was rooted in protecting others from suffering the same fate.
“I think the biggest thing is that other people won't suffer from this [now],” she said.
Gurrola emphasized that the emotional toll was just as impactful as the physical injuries. Coming to terms with her changed abilities was difficult and deeply upsetting.