Browne Greene and City of San Diego Reach Compromise in Paying $7 Million Judgment to Michael and Edith Burke in Toppled Palm Tree Trial

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Browne Greene (www.greene-broillet.com) and Daniel K. Balaban (www.balaban-spielberger.com) successfully reached a compromise with the City of San Diego on behalf of their clients, Michael and Edith Burke, in paying a $7.67 million jury verdict awarded to the Burkes last December. Mayor Bob Filner and the San Diego City Council agreed to accept the Plaintiffs’ offer to waive all interest accrued from the date of entry of the judgment in exchange for the City waiving its appeal. Michael Burke vs. City of San Diego, Case No. 37-2011-00086969-CU-PO-CTL.

“We are pleased to have reached an accord with the City of San Diego which enables Michael and Edith Burke to go on with their lives,” stated Browne Greene. “At last, justice has been served and, fortunately for the Burkes, they won’t have to go through an arduous, lengthy appellate process.”

“The City of San Diego did the right thing in working with Browne Greene and Daniel Balaban to reach a full and complete resolution of our case,” stated Michael Burke. “Edith and I now have full closure, and our worries about handling the high costs of my medical care can finally be put to rest once and for all.”

Last year, on December 21, 2012, a jury awarded the Burkes $7.67 million in their civil suit for dangerous condition of public property against the City of San Diego after it had held the City liable for injuries Michael Burke sustained when a nearly 60-foot City controlled Queen Palm tree in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego toppled over on him, crushing his legs and rendering him a paraplegic. The trial began on December 3, 2012 and was heard before San Diego Superior Court Judge Ronald L. Styn.

To date, Michael Burke has undergone a total of 14 surgeries and there is a high probability that he will have to undergo bilateral, below the knee amputations due to the severity of his injuries.

Editor’s Note:
Plaintiffs Michael and Edith Burke were represented by Browne Greene with the Santa Monica, CA. law firm of Greene Broillet & Wheeler, LLP (www.greene-broillet.com); Tel. [phone]; and Daniel K. Balaban and Andrew J. Spielberger with the Los Angeles, CA. Law firm of Balaban & Spielberger; Tel. [phone].

Defendant City of San Diego was represented by Deputy City Attorneys Jane Boardman and Keith Phillips; Tel: [phone].