Folsom bicyclist hit by car sues city for liability and dangerous road conditions

The city of Folsom faces a lawsuit regarding the safety of its roads.

Vince Murdock v. City of Folsom was filed on Dec. 7. In it Murdock, the plaintiff, sued the city of Folsom and Sacramento County for dangerous condition of public property and liability after he was struck on his bike by another individual in a vehicle at the intersection of Greenback Lane and Folsom Ranch Drive.

Murdock was traveling westbound in the bike lane on Greenback Lane on Feb. 8, 2022, when the driver of a 2012 Honda Civic turned right onto Greenback Lane from Folsom Ranch Drive and hit Murdock. Murdock is also suing the motorist and the apartment complex in front of which the collision took place.

Michael Kelly, Murdock’s attorney, said he would not comment on the ongoing litigation, but that everything within the court documents reflects his opinion. City officials said they could not comment, citing active litigation.

Murdock’s filed complaint, alleges the city of Folsom created dangerous premises “as a result of their failure to utilize or install any traffic or warning signals, signs, markings or other devices necessary to warn (Murdock) and other cyclists of a dangerous condition and trap.”

Murdock’s suit says the city knew or should have known of the hazardous conditions because it had received prior complaints about them, opening the city to liability because it failed to correct them before Murdock’s accident.

In July 2022, the city settled another civil liability case involving Deborah Richardson, who tripped and fell on an uneven sidewalk on Folsom Dam Road between Lakeside Way and Alayna Way in 2018. The city agreed to pay Richardson $60,000 according to settlement documents, despite contending that a tree on the neighboring housing complex’s property caused the damage to the sidewalk.

The settlement did not contain an admission of wrongdoing or liability from the city.

The only current scheduled hearing is a case management conference at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 8, according to Sacramento Superior Court.

This story was originally published January 9, 2023 at 7:12 AM.