Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia released a website today charting out City of L.A. liability claim payouts from fiscal years 2020-2023.

The purpose of the website is to give the public and decision-makers transparency on which City Departments are giving rise to liability claim payouts and to aid the City in better managing its responsibilities to avoid the harm that would give rise to the claims in the first place.

City Of LA Liability Claim Payouts FY2020 – FY2023

The site: liabilityclaims.lacontroller.app

Top 10 Departments/Bureaus

1. Police $125,255,347 (26.54%)

2. Sanitation $93,733,839 (19.86%)

3. Street Services $88,374,767 (18.72%)

4. Transportation $50,618,473 (10.72%)

5. Contract Administration $23,260,675 (4.93%)

6. Fire $21,798,389 (4.62%)

7. Recreation & Parks $21,377,285 (4.53%)

8. Finance $19,878,384 (4.21%)

9. Engineering $7,972,218 (1.69%)

10. Council $3,119,096 (0.66%)

Claim Categories by Payment Amount, Highest to Lowest 

1. Dangerous Condition $145,459,368 (30.82%)

2. Traffic Collision $88,808,679 (18.82%)

3. Civil Rights/Excessive or Unlawful Use of Force $67,317,480 (14.26%)

4. General Municipal Law $64,539,095 (13.67%)

5. Labor & Employment $56,878,635 (12.05%)

6. Taxes $19,647,884 (4.16%)

7. Professional Negligence $18,681,065 (3.96%)

8. Land Use, Real Property & Environment $10,400,880 (2.20%)

9. Breach of Contract $157,144 (0.03%)

10. Miscellaneous $99,500 (0.02%)

Top 10 Case Types by Payment Amount, Highest to Lowest

1. Ordinance Challenge $62,280,000

2. Traffic Accident – Pedestrian $34,912,341

3. Dangerous Condition – Roadway Design $34,176,667

4. Trip and Fall – Uplifted Sidewalk $31,418,635

5. Dangerous Condition – Tree $22,274,561

6. False Arrest/Detention/Imprisonment $22,126,324

7. Utility Tax $19,346,819

8. Race/Color/National Origin Discrimination $18,183,549

9. Unlawful Search and/or Seizure $15,748,312

10. Trip and Fall – Cracked Sidewalk (Non-Tree) $13,691,565

Liability claim payouts are payments the City has to make to those it has injured when it has failed to meet its responsibilities, or when City officials or employees directly harm people – or fail to prevent avoidable harm to people.

Most liability claim payouts come from the City’s General Fund, not department budgets. Liability claim payouts usually are not taken from the budgets of the City Departments responsible. Instead, a significant portion of payouts come out of the General Fund, the City’s fund for providing services and resources for Angelenos.

Photo image by Nattakorn Maneerat on iStockphoto.com