Case Background
On June 26, 2021, minor Plaintiff Giselle Ayar, represented by her guardian ad litem, Elizabeth De Luna Ayar, walked along Crockett Street in Sun Valley, Los Angeles. The sidewalk in front of 10424 Crockett Street contained uneven pavement caused by tree roots. The area also suffered from poor lighting. Residents regularly used the sidewalk, but it remained in disrepair.
Cause
As Giselle walked, she tripped over the raised and buckled sidewalk. She argued that property owners, Inna Ghevondyan and Does 1 to 50, negligently owned, managed, and inspected the property. She also claimed the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and Does 51 to 100 failed to maintain and repair the sidewalk. According to the complaint, these Defendants ignored or neglected a known hazard. They failed to warn pedestrians or correct the condition despite sufficient time and notice.
Injury
Giselle tripped and fell on the hazardous sidewalk. She sustained injuries that required medical attention. The fall caused pain, suffering, and physical limitations. Her injuries also disrupted her daily life and activities.
Damages
The Plaintiff claimed hospital and medical expenses. She also sought damages for future medical care, ongoing pain, and suffering. She alleged general damages, including loss of enjoyment of life. The complaint also sought compensation for household and related expenses.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Giselle Ayar (a minor, by and through GAL Elizabeth De Luna Ayar)
Counsel for Plaintiff: Nicholas Bryman
Defendant(s): City of Los Angeles | County of Los Angeles | Inna Ghevondyan
Counsel for Defendants: Thomas Allen | Vanessa H. Ticas
Claims
The complaint alleged three causes of action. The first claim was general negligence against Inna Ghevondyan and Does 1 to 50. The second claim was premises liability against Ghevondyan and Does 1 to 50. The third claim alleged premises liability and dangerous condition of public property against the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, and Does 51 to 100. Each Defendant was accused of creating, maintaining, or failing to remedy a sidewalk hazard that caused Giselle’s injuries.
Defense
The County of Los Angeles, the City of Los Angeles, and Inna Ghevondyan each denied liability for Giselle Ayar’s trip-and-fall injuries. The County argued that the complaint failed to state a cause of action, raised multiple statutory immunities under the Government Code, and maintained that the sidewalk was not in a dangerous condition or under its control. It further claimed lack of notice, reasonable diligence, discretionary immunity, and contributory negligence by the Plaintiff.
The City similarly denied all allegations, contending that Plaintiff’s own negligence or that of others caused the accident. It asserted assumption of risk, failure to comply with the California Tort Claims Act, statute of limitations defenses, and multiple statutory immunities. Defendant Ghevondyan also denied responsibility, arguing Plaintiff’s negligence and assumption of risk contributed to the fall. She further alleged trivial defect, failure to mitigate damages, comparative fault of others, and statutory time bars. All Defendants requested dismissal and recovery of costs.
Settlement
On September 12, 2024, Plaintiff Giselle Ayar, through counsel Kayvan Vaziri, filed a Notice of Settlement of Entire Case in Los Angeles Superior Court. The filing confirmed that the parties reached an unconditional settlement on September 9, 2024. Under the agreement, Ayar received $500,000 to resolve all claims stemming from her June 26, 2021 trip-and-fall incident in Sun Valley.
Court Documents
Court documents are available for purchase upon request at [email protected]
