Brief

The City Attorney initiated this file regarding Maria Mendoza v. County of Los Angeles lawsuit (LA Superior Court Case 24VECV00360). Council, on motion by Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield, adopted a response in April 2026 by 12-0-3 vote. The Mayor approved the action by May 4. A new City Attorney report dated June 25, 2026 was submitted July 10 and referred to Budget and Finance Committee, suggesting developments or updated legal recommendations in the case.

Full summary

This file tracks the City's response to a civil lawsuit filed by Maria Mendoza against the County of Los Angeles and other defendants in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit stems from a trip and fall incident that occurred at 6230 Sylmar Avenue in Van Nuys on February 14, 2023. The City Attorney's office brought the matter to Council to secure authorization for the City's litigation stance, which is standard procedure for significant civil cases. The core action Council took was to reject the plaintiff's statutory settlement offer of $500,000, submitted under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 998. The City Attorney's initial report, dated March 6, 2026, was referred to Budget and Finance Committee, which approved the recommendation unanimously on April 13 in closed session. Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield moved the matter on April 22, and the full Council adopted it 12-0-3. The Mayor approved the action by May 4, making it final. By rejecting the Section 998 offer, the City is electing to contest the case rather than settle at that figure, with potential cost-shifting consequences if the City ultimately loses and fails to beat the offer at trial. The most recent development is a second City Attorney report, dated June 25, 2026, submitted to the Council on July 10 and referred back to Budget and Finance Committee. This report requests another closed session under the same Government Code provision to allow the Council to confer with legal counsel regarding a new recommendation for Claims Board action in the still-pending litigation. The City Attorney's office identified the Board of Public Works Commission and its risk management staff as stakeholders, suggesting the underlying property or infrastructure liability remains central to the case. The file remains open and pending committee action on this latest submission.

Activity (10)

• 2026-07-10 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
• 2026-07-10 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated June 25, 2026.
• 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 (5)

• 2026-06-25 Report from City Attorney · report
• 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

Council votes (1)

• 2026-04-22 Vote — 12-0-3 · Regular