St. Paul Set to Approve $124,000 Settlement in Tree Stump Lawsuit

The city of St. Paul, Minn., is set to approve a $124,000 settlement for a woman who tripped over a snow-covered tree stump in the middle of a sidewalk.

According to the settlement agreement, the city denies liability in the fall of 69-year-old Judy Steffenhagen in December 2011.

The Pioneer Press reports the Lake City resident filed a lawsuit, claiming she had sustained “injuries to her body and nervous system” and “suffered great mental and physical pain and anguish.”

The lawsuit didn’t detail her injuries. Her attorney Jeremy Stevens said he couldn’t elaborate without his client’s permission.

He says the stump was in a circular tree well, with a lip of 2 or 3 inches.

The city council is scheduled to approve the settlement Wednesday.