Brief

The City Attorney referred a legal settlement matter arising from Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 23STCV03465 to the City Council for approval. Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield moved a motion to settle the dispute with plaintiff Isidro Vera-Cruz. The Council voted 12-0-3 on April 22, 2026, to adopt the motion. The file was transmitted to the Mayor on April 24 and became final on May 4, 2026.

Full summary

This file documents the City Council's approval of a $1.95 million settlement in the civil lawsuit Isidro Vera-Cruz v. City of Los Angeles, et al., filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. The case stems from a multi-vehicle versus pedestrian incident on March 10, 2022, in a crosswalk at the intersection of West Adams Boulevard and South Budlong Avenue. The City Attorney submitted the settlement recommendation on March 5, 2026, and referred it to Council for approval. The adopted motion authorized the City Attorney's Office to expend up to $1,950,000 in Fiscal Year 2026-27 to resolve the matter. The full settlement amount is payable to The Law Offices of Haytham Faraj on behalf of plaintiff Isidro Vera-Cruz. To fund the payout, the Controller was directed to transfer $1,950,000 from the Liability Claims Fund's Miscellaneous Liability Payouts account into the Transportation Liability Payouts account, reflecting the transportation-related nature of the underlying incident. The Budget and Finance Committee reviewed and unanimously approved the item in closed session on April 13, 2026, with Councilmembers Yaroslavsky, Blumenfield, Hutt, and McOsker all voting yes and Hernandez absent. Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky (5th District) presented the motion to the full Council, seconded by Bob Blumenfield (3rd District). The Council passed the motion 12-0-3 on April 22, 2026. The Mayor allowed it to take effect without action, and the file became final on May 4, 2026. The case is now closed.

Activity (8)

• 2026-05-04 Council action final.
• 2026-04-24 City Clerk transmitted file to Mayor. Last day for Mayor to act is May 4, 2026.
• 2026-04-22 Council adopted Motion (Yaroslavsky - Blumenfield) in Open Session, subject to reconsideration, pursuant to Council Rule 51.
• 2026-04-17 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on April 22, 2026.
• 2026-04-13 Budget and Finance Committee approved the item in Open Session.
• 2026-04-10 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on April 13, 2026.
• 2026-03-17 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-03-17 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated March 5, 2026.

Documents (4)

• 2026-05-04 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2026-04-22 Motion (Yaroslavsky - Blumenfield) · motion
• 2026-04-22 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-03-05 Report from City Attorney · report