Several people were injured by a dangerously installed speed bump on Clay Street back in August 2022. A few are suing for about $1 million, but one of them just scored a $9 million settlement for his injuries.
Back in August 2022, the Chronicle had a story about several people being injured by a dangerously implemented construction bump on a Slow Street area of Clay Street in Presidio Heights. The problem was not the fact that it was a Slow Street, but instead a rather an obstruction in the road left behind after some underground water-line work by the SF Public Utilities Commission. Numerous people on scooters or bicycles were injured in accidents on that bump in the 11 days until it was smoothed over, and the SF Standard reported last month that four of them were suing for “well under $1 million.”
But one of them, former Cruise robotaxi project manager Mason Masuda, sued for a staggering $9 million. Supervisor Aaron Peskin told the Standard, "I haven't seen payouts like this even for wrongful deaths." Indeed, wrongful death suits — where someone died — typically net $2 million to $3 million.
Regardless, Peskin and the rest of the supervisors unanimously approved the $9 million settlement to Masuda at Tuesday’s board meeting, with no discussion and an immediate bang of the gavel.
It's not clear why the injuries, or the case, warranted this settlement.
To be fair, this is not the largest injury settlement San Francisco has ever paid out. Back in 2015, the supervisors approved an $11 million settlement to a woman who was permanently disabled by a Muni light-rail train.
A City Attorney's Office spokesperson told the Standard last month, regarding the Masuda case, that "We believe the proposed settlement is an appropriate resolution given the inherent costs of continued litigation."
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