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Board approves $86,000 settlement in crash involving city sanitation truck; DPW outlines accident review procedures
Summary
The Board approved an $86,000 settlement with Inger Stevenson stemming from a Jan. 10, 2022 rear‑end crash involving a Department of Public Works trash truck; the law department recommended settlement and DPW and Risk Management described post‑accident protocols and a new DPW accident review board.
The Board of Estimates on Feb. 19 approved a settlement agreement and release with plaintiff Inger Stevenson in a case arising from a Jan. 10, 2022 traffic collision in which a Department of Public Works trash truck rear‑ended Ms. Stevenson.
Stephen Salisbury, Deputy Solicitor, Law Department, described the facts and the department’s view on liability: “Our our feeling is that, liability is is gonna attach to the city,” Salisbury said, and recommended the board approve an $86,000 settlement to resolve claimed medical damages and lost wages.
Salisbury reported the plaintiff claimed roughly $81,000 in medical expenses and additional lost wage claims; he said the driver’s statement suggested the driver may have expected the vehicle ahead to proceed through the intersection and was unable to stop when it stopped for a red light.
Members of the board raised concerns about city protocols for incidents involving city vehicles. Matt Gerbark, Deputy Director, Department of Public Works, said the Bureau of Risk Management is alerted for every incident and described the department’s protocols: drivers must notify central dispatch (Control 1) and supervisors, call 911 if emergency services are required, and all involved employees must submit to drug testing before operating city vehicles again. Gerbark said DPW is reinstituting an internal accident review board that will examine whether accidents were preventable and identify training needs.
City Administrator Faith Leach and DPW representatives said these DPW procedures supplement a citywide Workplace Injury and Accident Committee chaired by the city’s chief risk management officer. Leach said the committee is citywide but that DPW’s new review board will look in more detail at DPW‑specific incidents because DPW has a larger fleet and more drivers.
A motion to approve the settlement was moved and seconded and the board approved the settlement by voice vote.
