It seemed like an open and shut case. Last year in Chicago, a 300 lb. The light pole broke — and then crashed into Kyra Puetz’s car parked underneath it. The crash caused dents, scratches and damage to the window (1).
Yet despite rust causing the break, and a neighbor’s doorbell cam footage recording the whole thing, the city denied Puetz’s request to pay nearly $3000 in damages to her car.
“It’s crazy that the city isn’t taking responsibility for this,” Puetz said CBS News.
or other such cases. Between 2021 and early 2026, 64 damage claims from falling light poles totaled $1.2 million. CBS News found out The city paid only two claims for a total of $9,300. Six claims are still pending. The rest were rejected.
It reveals how hard it is to win a claim against a municipality and why you have to go to great lengths if you want to fight City Hall and win.
Puetz’s claim was denied, the city reportedly told him, because no one alerted them to the rusted light pole and its need for repair.
This is consistent with what legal experts note as one of the main hurdles to suing a city for personal injury or property damage: proving that the incident was caused by the city’s negligence (2).
A case from earlier this year in Wildwood, New Jersey, resulted in a similar outcome (3). Plaintiff’s foot was trapped in a water meter pit that had a loose cover, causing multiple injuries to his left shoulder and leg, requiring surgery.
The court, however, held that the city could not be held negligent because they were not notified of any safety issues with the cover of the water meter pit (4).
In addition to proving negligence, many city governments enjoy what’s known as “sovereign immunity” — essentially making it illegal to sue them except in specific circumstances that vary from state to state.
For example, in Chicago, a local law firm noted that proving simple negligence is not enough to sue the city (5). They explained that you would have to prove “intentional and wanton misconduct” that caused harm or demonstrated a “conscious disregard” for public safety.
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One example, they added, is an example of police brutality, illustrating the high bar that some municipalities face in prosecuting cases.
And for those who do manage to file a successful lawsuit, the amount of damages you can receive is often subject to caps imposed on a state-by-state basis (6).
He said, sometimes justice prevails. In Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2022, an elderly woman faced a raw sewage backup in her home, for which she requested $65,000 in compensation (7).
The city denied his request and offered him $45,000 if he released the liability, which he signed. However, an appeals court ruled this month that the agreement was “obtained by undue influence” by the city, as the woman felt pressured because she might otherwise lose her home. The woman is now allowed to sue the city for damages.
Legal experts warn that, for those looking to sue their municipality for damages or personal injury, the clock is already ticking.
In many places statutes of limitations and filing deadlines are measured in weeks and months, not years. It’s important to identify all of your local deadlines for filing a lawsuit because if your jurisdiction’s laws dictate that you miss your window, your case is over before it even begins.
That’s why you should act fast, including immediately contacting an attorney and filing a claim against the city. The injury firm of Morgan & Morgan says the city will either accept your claim, deny it, or offer to negotiate—with the latter two options the most likely outcome (8).
Assuming they deny your claim and you proceed to sue the city, many advise you to provide as much photo or video evidence as possible, as well as witnesses or other people who have experienced similar violations. Medical or professional evaluation records indicating the severity or extent of any injuries sustained or property damage may also prove helpful.
Some also advise appointing expert witnesses – be it a doctor or someone with a specific knowledge base related to your claim – to speak on your behalf, although their services can prove expensive (9), on top of attorney and court costs, and must be weighed against any caps for damages that may apply in your area.
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CBS News (1); Legal clarity (2), (6), (9); Google Scholar (3); Capehart (4); Chicago Lawyer (5); US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (7); Morgan & Morgan (8)
This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the headline: Chicago woman says it’s a “crazy” city 300 lb. Pole can’t pay for damages after hitting his car. Why Suing City Hall Is Hard
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
