Calif. City Must Pay $4M for Mudslide Death

The California Supreme Court says Mill Valley must pay $4 million to the family of a man killed in a mudslide at their home.

Walter Guthrie was trying to clear an outdoor drainpipe during a 2006 rainstorm when he was buried in the collapse of a hillside above his home.

The man’s wife and daughter filed a lawsuit saying Mill Valley officials knew the hill was slipping but failed to take protective measures and postponed the construction of a retaining wall until after the rainy season.

The San Francisco Chronicle says state Supreme Court justices unanimously denied review of lower-court rulings that found the city responsible.