Woman falls on sidewalk and breaks chest to be compensated

The city of San Diego will have to pay the wife of its former mayor $85,000 for a fall on a bumpy sidewalk that left her chest deformed.

Cynthia Hedgecock (70), wife of Roger Hedgecock, former mayor of San Diego, California, said she tripped and hit her chest on the street while walking from Morrell Street to Grand Avenue on July 31, 2015. The fall caused damage to her breast, which had undergone surgery. Cynthia is asking the city to pay $85,000 in damages, claiming that the damaged sidewalk caused her injury.

When she fell, Cynthia was holding a document in one hand and a phone in the other.

Cynthia did not seek medical attention immediately after the fall, but two weeks later, on August 17, 2015, she felt pain in her chest and her breast was deformed. Cynthia's doctor examined her and had to operate again in November 2015 at a cost of nearly $20,000.

Former Mayor Roger claims he was a co-victim because he had to stay home with his wife to help her recover, resulting in lost income. The couple has filed a lawsuit against the city for all medical expenses and $65,000 for physical and emotional distress.

City officials, however, have disputed the lawsuit. A lawyer representing the city said there was no evidence that Cynthia fell. They also found that medical records showed she had breast implants for more than 20 years and had ruptured one in 2012. There were no witnesses to the incident, and Cynthia did not take any photos to provide evidence.

The Hedgecock family's lawyers rejected the suggestion that Cynthia had been deceitful, saying simply: "Either Cynthia had deceived her husband, friends, family, general practitioners, and surgeons about the fall and chest injury, or Cynthia had actually been injured."

Mrs. Cynthia in court.

The Hedgecocks' lawsuit alleges the city failed to repair the sidewalk when a tree root grew long enough to cause the pavement to buckle. They say the city was negligent in its responsibility to inspect and repair public roads.

The city had to change its sidewalk policy after paying nearly $5 million to a cyclist injured on a damaged sidewalk in 2016. Ultimately, a jury sided with the Hedgecocks, awarding the city of San Diego nearly $85,000.

Roger Hedgecock served as mayor of San Diego from 1983 to 1985, but he was forced to resign after being indicted for his involvement in an illegal funding case.

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According to ngoisao.net