South Bay's Pothole Crash Victim To Get $6.1M Payout

LOS ANGELES, CA — A man who claimed he crashed his motorcycle after skidding out over a series of potholes in San Pedro will get a $6.1 million settlement from the city. The Los Angeles City Council approved the settlement with Philip Ramon Alvarez Friday.

Alvarez crashed on Oct. 11, 2015 while riding his motorcycle on Western Avenue south of 25th Street after hitting several holes in the road, according to a complaint he filed in 2016. He suffered a severe brain injury and will be dependant on caretakers for the rest of his life, according to his attorney Santo Riccobono.

Riccobono told the Los Angeles Times the potholes were created by city employees using surveying equipment.

The city argued in court documents that Alavarz's injuries were due to his own negligence and of other persons, and also that he had actual knowledge of the condition and particular danger alleged, knew and understood the degree of the risk involved, and voluntarily assumed the risk.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photo: Shutterstock