The City of Sacramento paid one of the largest financial settlements in its history after an elderly woman and her grandson were struck in a crosswalk on a City street. In January 2018, 72 year old Qui-Chang Zhu and 6 year old Jian Hao Kuang were using a crosswalk on Freeport Blvd. when a sedan was traveling northbound struck the pair in the crosswalk. 72 year old Zhu died and the injuries to Kuang included catastrophic and permanent brain damage.
The crosswalk was in daily use for years and prior to the incident the City removed the majority of the paint while leaving the imprints where the sidewalk had previously existed. “In fact, the markings left at this crossing had the dangerous effect of being visible to pedestrians giving the impression the crossing was still intended to be a marked crosswalk, but not being visible to approaching motorists on Freeport boulevard” the lawsuit said. The City had also removed pedestrian warning signs that had been painted on the roadway.
The City Council is required to approve all settlements over $100,000 and the Council discussed this case behind closed doors. The settlement was never announced following the decision which was later uncovered through a California Public Requests Act request.
Sacramento City Attorney Susana Wood said the settlement will fund a special needs trust for Kuang who will be unable to pursue regular employment. City Attorney Wood said “This case – which involved the death of a grandmother and the serious injury of a young boy as the result of a traffic collision – is certainly one of the most tragic.” Wood went on to say “The settlement agreement with the family was designed to include a special needs trust that ensures Jianhao Kuang is cared for throughout his life. Meanwhile the City remains committed to following all federal and state guidelines regarding street design.” The settlement is believed to be the largest since a $15 million payout to the family of a girl who died at Camp Sacramento in 2016.
We represent people who are injured because of the careless and reckless acts of others. At the end of the day your case can only be settled one time and you need to know all of the facts beforehand. The reason that insurance companies have paid our clients in excess of $130,000,000.00 is that we get the facts and are not intimidated at the prospect of going to trial when insurance companies fail to offer full compensation. We help with serious injuries that require serious representation. We are the Law Offices of Guenard & Bozarth, LLP. Our attorneys have more than 60 years of experience specializing in only representing injured people.. Call GB Legal 24/7/365 at 888-809-1075 or visit www.gblegal.com We would be honored to represent you!
