El Segundo moves to sue L.A. over massive Santa Monica Bay sewage spill, foul odors
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – A lawyer for the man who sued the City of Los Angeles in late 2014 over a massive sewage spill that has poisoned his family is moving forward with his lawsuit.
Robert D’Alessandro, an attorney with Greenberg Traurig, filed four suits with allegations against the City.
They include claims for personal injury, property damage and violations of the federal Clean Water Act, the attorney said.
D’Alessandro said he has not been able to serve the City, which he claims “is still fighting the lawsuits.”
The lawsuits involve more than 100 people, he said in an email from his office. He said the plaintiffs will likely include children, families, businesses and residents who have been exposed to the foul sewage.
D’Alessandro said the suits have cost his firm more than $4 million in legal fees, but have been worth it.
“We’re not fighting the City on the merits of the lawsuits, we’re fighting it on the procedural issues,” he said. “We are bringing the City to the court’s attention for being untimely and for being completely unresponsive.”
The City said in a statement that it can neither comment on nor control pending cases and is unable to discuss specifics.
“City Hall respects the right of citizens to file civil lawsuits over acts of government,” the statement said. “It is one of the responsibilities of the City to ensure that its claims are properly and efficiently addressed.”
D’Alessandro, who also represents the state of California in ongoing legal battles, said the City’s refusal to respond to his claims has been a “nightmare” and that he is still trying to gather the necessary evidence to properly prove claims against the City.
