Washington v. City and County of San Francisco

In Washington v. City and County of San Francisco (1990) 219 Cal. App. 3d 1531, a man was killed when his motorcycle collided with a car in an intersection. The car, which was driving eastbound, made a left turn in front of the motorcycle, which was traveling westbound. A jury returned a verdict in favor of the victim's family on their cause of action for wrongful death. The Court of Appeal affirmed, concluding the city was not immune from liability under section 830.4 because "the danger at the intersection . . . was not caused solely by the failure to provide regulatory traffic signals." It was also caused by shadows cast by the freeway which ran above the intersection, and metal pillars supporting the freeway which "obstructed the view of drivers coming toward one another." (Washington v. City and County of San Francisco, supra, 219 Cal. App. 3d at pages 1534, 1535.)