Man Sues San Diego After Palm Tree Crushes Legs

A San Diego, Calif., man is suing the city after a palm tree fell on him and crushed his legs.

Michael Burke blames city budget cuts for the accident two years ago.

U-T San Diego says his lawsuit goes to trial on Dec. 3 and a victory could cost San Diego millions of dollars.

Burke was left without the use of his legs after a palm near his Mission Hills home toppled on him in January 2010 after a four-day storm.

His lawsuit claims cutbacks in tree-trimming and inspection services created a “ticking time bomb” of diseased and dead trees that could fall at any time.

San Diego says it was an unforeseeable accident and the city isn’t responsible.