The City of Trees Is a Little Overwhelmed Right Now
Bicycle riders and others in Sacramento are facing huge piles of uncleared leaves in the gutters and city streets as they’ve piled up following storms in the area. Falling leaves in the autumn are normal, of course, however, it’s taking the city crews with the Department of Utilities a much longer time to clear the mess. Local residents are getting fed up and frustrated by the accumulation of leaves on the ground that have been there since October.
Bicycle Riders Sometimes Find the Bike Lanes Blocked With Leaves
One bicycle rider said he had phoned the city, complaining about the hazard several times, but nothing had been done to remove the piles and piles of leaves, which present a special hazard to cyclists. For those who use their bicycles to commute, they face blocked bicycle lanes, which force them to enter the street with the rest of the traffic. The rider said this made the bicyclists vulnerable to confrontations with cars.
Leaf Removal Crews Extending Period for Pickup
Crews in the city started using The Claw several years ago in an attempt to clear the streets of the leaf piles. Normally, the crews make their rounds every two weeks but find themselves behind schedule this year. Although the season for leaf removal normally ends on January 23, an additional two weeks has been added to clear up the mess, which not only endangers bicycle riders but causes storm drains to back up, resulting in flooding. The problem? Staffing shortages.
Shortage of Workers Affecting Leaf Removal
Instead of the usual eight crews working at leaf removal, only five are at work this year. One of those crews has been reassigned to work on cleaning up the homeless camps. In addition, a labor dispute has prevented some workers from requesting overtime. Those living in Sacramento have been asked by city officials to place their leaves in the waste bins picked up weekly to help out. By checking the calendar website for the collection and entering their address, they can find out when the leaf pickup in their area is scheduled.
Injuries to Bicycle Riders Caused by a Government Entity
Bicycle riders understand their vulnerability when going on their daily errands, heading to work, or just enjoying a nice day. However, one of the problems they face occurs when the government entity in charge of maintaining the streets and roadways doesn’t do its job. If a bicycle rider is involved in an injury accident due to this lack of maintenance, they may wish to file a claim against the government entity in charge to recover damages. By damages, we mean recovery of their medical bills and other expenses associated with the accident injury, wages lost from being unable to work, and for their pain and suffering.
However, filing a claim for compensation against a government entity has a much shorter statute of limitations. Asking a personal injury attorney for help can ensure the paperwork is filed on time and correctly. If the statute of limitations passes, the court will refuse to hear the case. In addition, the lawyer can negotiate for you to help ensure you get the compensation that you deserve.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. When negligence by a motorist or other entity causes your accident injuries, call us for free and friendly advice on whether you can file a compensation claim. You can reach me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. An online contact form is available also.
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Our legal team has helped many Sacramentans since 1982 in recovering fair compensation for their bicycle accident injuries and in all types of traffic collisions.
Photo attribution: Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay
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