municipal liability News

Pittsburgh Offers $500,000 to Settle Bridge Collapse Lawsuits

The city of Pittsburgh is seeking approval of a half-million-dollar payment to settle lawsuits over the collapse of a bridge into a ravine more than 2 1/2 years ago. Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak said Friday he had asked the Pittsburgh …

Jury Sides With Teacher in Suit Against District Over Jan. 6 Rally

A Pennsylvania school district violated a teacher’s constitutional rights by falsely suggesting he took part in the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, a federal jury has concluded. After an 11-day trial, jurors found the Allentown School District retaliated …

Judge Allows Vermont Suit Alleging Police Bias, Excessive Force Against Black Teen

A Vermont judge has denied the city of Burlington’s request to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that police used excessive force and discriminated against a Black teenager whose mother had called law enforcement to teach him a lesson about stealing. When …

Ohio Supreme Court Orders City to Pay $30 Million Police Brutality Judgment

The Ohio city of East Cleveland must pay a $30 million jury verdict awarded to a man who police wrongly assaulted, arrested and detained, the state’s highest court has ordered. The victim, Arnold Black, went to court in February 2023 …

Rikers Island Inmates Sue City Claiming They Were Trapped in Cells During Fire

Inmates at New York City’s Rikers Island are suing the city claiming they were trapped in their cells during a jailhouse fire that injured 20 people last year. The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Manhattan said the 15 …

New York County to Pay $1.75 Million to Family of Man Killed by Police in 2011

A New York county has reached a $1.75 million settlement with the family of a man shot and killed by police in his home in 2011. Suffolk County, on Long Island, has agreed to pay the settlement to the family …

New York City to Pay $17.5M, End Ban on Religious Head Coverings in Mug Shots

New York City has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who were forced to remove their head coverings to be photographed after they were arrested. The class-action lawsuit was filed in 2018 …

Mayor Says New York City Will ‘Iron Out Kinks’ in Errant Chatbot

An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot created by New York City to help small business owners is under criticism for dispensing bizarre advice that misstates local policies and advises companies to violate the law. But days after the issues were first reported …

City Reaches Settlement in Lawsuit Over Death of Opioid-Addicted Woman

Relatives of a Vermont woman whose obituary drew national attention for its candid and heart-breaking discussion of her opioid addiction have reached a settlement with some of the parties who were sued for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care. …

Jury Awards $72.5M to Woman Paralyzed When Struck by New York City Bus

A Florida woman who says she was struck and dragged by a New York City bus and left partially paralyzed has been awarded $72.5 million in her lawsuit against the city’s transit agency. A city jury found in favor of …