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Cesar Buenrostro v. City of Los Angeles, et al.

Council File 26-0895

Under review — the City Attorney is preparing settlement recommendations for a 2022 car accident lawsuit and has referred the matter to the Budget and Finance Committee, which will likely schedule a closed session to discuss terms before any public decision.

Introduced
2026-06-17
Last changed
2026-06-18
Status
open
Expires
2028-06-17
Committee
Budget and Finance Committee
Initiated by
City Attorney
References
LASC Case No. 23CHCV02449City Attorney Report No. R26-0324Claim No. C23-23050

Brief

The City Attorney has submitted documentation regarding Cesar Buenrostro v. City of Los Angeles, a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court (Case No. 23CHCV02449). The file was introduced on June 17, 2026, and referred to the Budget and Finance Committee the following day. The underlying claim (C23-23050) involves a dispute between the plaintiff and the City. As of June 18, 2026, the matter remains pending before the committee with no substantive action yet taken.

Full summary

This file concerns a civil lawsuit brought by Cesar Buenrostro against the City of Los Angeles arising from a motor vehicle accident on August 25, 2022, near North Topanga Canyon Road just south of Sioux Drive. The case is pending in Los Angeles Superior Court under Case No. 23CHCV02449, and a related claim (C23-23050) was filed with the City in 2023. The Board of Public Works Commission is among the parties copied on City Attorney correspondence, suggesting City infrastructure or operations may be implicated in the accident. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, through Chief of Civil Litigation Kathleen Kenealy, submitted a report on June 4, 2026, requesting that the City Council schedule and hold a closed session to receive legal advice regarding a potential Claims Board action in connection with this litigation. The request is made under California Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(1), the standard statutory authorization for closed-session discussion of pending litigation. The report signals that the City Attorney's office is at a stage where it is prepared to recommend a settlement posture to the Council. The City Attorney's report was formally introduced to Council on June 17, 2026, and referred to the Budget and Finance Committee the following day. The matter is currently awaiting committee consideration, at which point the Council would likely convene in closed session to discuss settlement terms before any public action — such as authorizing a settlement payment — could be taken. No settlement amount or specific recommendation is disclosed in the public record, as those details are handled in closed session.

Activity (2)

  • 2026-06-18 City Attorney document(s) referred to Budget and Finance Committee.
  • 2026-06-17 Document submitted by City Attorney, dated June 4, 2026.

Documents (1)

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