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Luis David Garcia v. City of Los Angeles, et. al.,

Council File 26-1299

Under review — the City Attorney is asking the Council to meet privately to discuss a potential settlement in a vehicle-accident lawsuit involving LAPD. The Budget and Finance Committee will decide whether to proceed at its September 15 meeting.

Introduced
2026-09-09
Last changed
2026-09-11
Status
open
Expires
2028-09-11
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Initiated by
City Attorney
References
City Attorney Report: R26-0494Los Angeles Superior Court Case: 24TRCV00757Claim: C24-01709

Brief

The City Attorney submitted a report (R26-0494) on September 9, 2026, regarding litigation in Los Angeles Superior Court case 24TRCV00757 and associated claim C24-01709. The matter involves Luis David Garcia's lawsuit against the City and other defendants. The file was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee, which scheduled it for a committee meeting on September 15, 2026. No substantive details about the claims, amounts in dispute, or City's legal position are yet public.

Full summary

This matter arises from a motor vehicle accident on May 7, 2023, at the intersection of La Cienega Boulevard and Olive Street in Los Angeles. Plaintiff Luis David Garcia filed suit against the City of Los Angeles and other defendants in Los Angeles Superior Court. The distribution list on the City Attorney's report — which includes LAPD personnel from the Risk Management and Legal Affairs Division (RMLAD) as well as the Board of Police Commissioners — strongly suggests that a City police vehicle or officer was involved in the collision. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, through Assistant Chief of Civil Litigation Dikran H. Sassounian, is asking the City Council to convene a closed session under California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1) to receive legal advice and consider a potential settlement recommendation from the Claims Board. This statutory provision permits public bodies to meet privately when conferring with legal counsel about pending litigation. The specific settlement figure or terms have not been made public, as is standard for active litigation matters. The City Attorney submitted the report on August 27, 2026, and it was formally introduced to the Council file on September 9, 2026. The matter was immediately referred to the Budget and Finance Committee, which scheduled it for its September 15, 2026 meeting — the step at which councilmembers will take up the closed-session request and any accompanying settlement recommendation. The file remains open and pending committee action. Deputy City Attorney Sandra Farzam is the point of contact for questions on the case.

Activity (3)

  • 2026-09-11 Budget and Finance Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 15, 2026.
  • 2026-09-10 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-09-09 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated August 27, 2026.

Documents (1)

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