Brief

The City Attorney initiated this file on a claim (C24-01120) arising from Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. 24VECV00360. On April 22, 2026, Council voted 12-0-3 to adopt a motion by Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield authorizing the settlement. The Mayor received the file on April 24 and had until May 4 to act; Council action became final on May 4, 2026.

Full summary

This file concerns the City's response to a personal injury lawsuit filed by Maria Mendoza in Los Angeles Superior Court, arising from a trip-and-fall incident that occurred on February 14, 2023, at 6230 Sylmar Avenue in Van Nuys. The plaintiff made a statutory settlement demand of $500,000 under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 998, which allows a party to make a formal offer whose rejection can have cost-shifting consequences at trial if the rejecting party ultimately fares worse than the offered amount. The City Attorney submitted the matter to the Budget and Finance Committee on March 6, 2026, recommending that the City reject the $500,000 offer rather than settle. The Budget and Finance Committee reviewed the item in closed session on April 13, 2026, as permitted under Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1), which allows legislative bodies to meet privately on pending litigation. The committee voted unanimously 4-0 (with one member absent) to recommend rejection of the offer. On April 22, 2026, Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky (5th District) and Bob Blumenfield (3rd District) moved that the full Council adopt the recommendation to reject the plaintiff's $500,000 settlement offer. The Council voted 12-0-3 in favor, with the motion adopted subject to mayoral approval. The file was transmitted to the Mayor on April 24, 2026, and Council action became final on May 4, 2026. The file is now closed, meaning the City has formally declined the settlement offer and the litigation will continue.

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 6, 2026.

Documents (4)

• 2026-05-04 Mayor Concurrence/Council Action · other
• 2026-04-22 Motion (Yaroslavsky - Blumenfield) · motion
• 2026-04-13 Speaker Card(s) · speaker_card
• 2026-03-06 Report from City Attorney · report