A 34‑year‑old former physics student, Michael Flynn, received a $33.3 million verdict from a Sacramento jury after a 30‑foot dead branch fell on him while jogging on the McKinley Park path in April 2020.
Flynn, then 28, sustained a severe brain injury that left him in long‑term neurological rehabilitation for six years, yet he completed a PhD in physics in 2025.
The jury found the City of Sacramento 100 percent liable, citing that city forestry records and expert testimony proved the branch had been dead for years and a routine inspection would have removed it.
Defendants argued that inspecting every tree across municipal parks was impractical, but the jury rejected that defense and held the city responsible for failing to maintain public trees.
City officials have not yet announced whether they will file an appeal, and the $33.3 million award will cover Flynn’s ongoing medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and lost future earnings.
Flynn urged residents to hold city officials accountable for park safety, saying, “The city has a responsibility to look after the people who live in it.”