Former Glendale City Manager James Starbird and his two sons have filed a claim against the city over a broken sidewalk which they say caused the death of Starbird’s wife, Carolyn.
Starbird was pushing his wheelchair-bound wife down the 1200 block of Ethel Street in March when the chair hit an elevated patch of a damaged sidewalk, pushing her forward. Carolyn hit her head on concrete, causing a severe concussion, and she died shortly thereafter.
Starbird’s attorney says damaged sidewalks pose a danger to both the public and city employees, and cannot be ignored by city officials. The Public Works Department insists it always tries to respond to reports of broken sidewalks in a timely manner, but that it relies on reporting from passers-by to know when one needs to be fixed.
Starbird has filed the claim in the amount of $1 million. The city has 45 days to respond, at which point Starbird could file suit over the tragic incident.
Read more about the claim here.
Image Credit: Flickr User ryan-albrey, https://flic.kr/p/kCaVg6 via (CC BY 2.0)