Trial Magazine

While Stephanie Scott was driving home from work in Los Angeles, a large sinkhole opened up in the street, causing her to plummet approximately 20 feet. Her vehicle landed upside down and  surrounded by raw sewage. When she regained consciousness, she unbuckled her seatbelt, extracted herself from the vehicle, and called for help. Local firefighters rescued Scott, who suffered a traumatic brain injury, vision injuries, and a hand injury.

Now 51, Scott suffers from ­post-traumatic stress disorder but has returned to work as a makeup artist. Her medical expenses totaled more than $200,000, and her lost earnings were more than $90,000.

Scott sued the city of Los Angeles, alleging it failed to maintain its sewer lines. The plaintiff asserted that the failure of an old, deteriorated sewer main caused gallons of sewage to spew underground and erode the surrounding soil, leaving a void that led to the roadway collapse. The sewer main should have been inspected and replaced years, if not decades, before the incident, the plaintiff argued.

The parties settled for $4 million.

Citation: Scott v. Cty. of Los Angeles, No. BC675020 (Cal. Super. Ct. Los Angeles Cty. Dec. 4, 2019).

Plaintiff counsel: AAJ members Kevin Boyle, Brian Panish, and Andrew Owen, all of Los Angeles.