The city of Lincoln will have to pay a woman $5,973 for her injuries after a streetlight pole fell onto A street, hitting the front fender of the car she was driving in 2018.
Angela Nnadozie had sought $35,000 in medical expenses in the lawsuit she filed against Lincoln Electric System over it in 2020.
At a bench trial in January, the city admitted it was negligent in its maintenance of the streetlight pole between South 18th and 19th streets, which crews had been seen working on earlier in the day. But they denied Nnadozie was injured or that any alleged injury was caused by an act or omission of LES.
In a recent order, Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret said that when a Lincoln officer responded to the crash on Sept. 6, 2018, Nnadozie didn’t report any injuries and didn’t seek any professional medical treatment until five days later.
In a handwritten narrative 11 days after the crash, Nnadozie also didn’t mention any symptoms in her left knee, shoulder or upper arm, but did mention back pain.
Prior to the crash, she was undergoing treatment for her injuries in a crash in 2016.
Maret said that, based on the circumstances of the 2018 accident, she found that Nnadozie had suffered a minor soft tissue back injury, which took 10 doctor visits, costing $973. She awarded her an additional $5,000 for pain and suffering.