California city makes subtle change after $35M lawsuit over 70-year-old’s streetside tumble

San Diego officials aren’t taking chances with their parking meters — days after an elderly man’s fall from the exposed base of a meter led him to file a humongous action against the city.

City crews paved over the spot of the exposed metal parking meter base Tuesday, according to NBC 7.

A 70-year-old man allegedly tripped over the base on May 11, causing him to tumble into a serious fall off the sidewalk. Security camera footage showed the fall after he was seen walking toward a car parked at a curb with a 30-minute time limit.

Then, one of his feet touched the base of the meter, removed from the sidewalk more than a year earlier. He fell head-first toward the pavement, slamming into a car. He suffered a broken neck and back.

The man filed a $35 million claim against the city, which could escalate into a lawsuit if unaddressed.

The man and his wife were leaving a sushi restaurant near the intersection of Washington Street and Albatross Drive in May when he fell, attorney William Berman told NBC San Diego.

Berman alleges the city created a dangerous hazard by removing the parking meter but leaving behind its raised metal base and protruding bolts embedded in the sidewalk. He claims similar sidewalk hazards exist elsewhere across the city.

“They protrude about an inch to two inches from the sidewalk. The city needs to make sure they’re taking out these bases from the sidewalks,” Berman said.

The sidewalk tripper needed a hospital stay to recover from his injuries, but he requires 24-hour medical care every day at home, the attorney claimed.

Residents have claimed that sidewalks in the city are uneven and can be hazardous, especially to elderly people.

Local officials discussed a growing number of liability settlements last week. More than $100 million in settlements involved the San Diego Police Department, they said.

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