Plaintiff Calls It A Sidewalk; City Calls It A Trail.

Plaintiff brought an action against a city after she was injured when she tripped over a protruding tree trunk while taking a walk on a sidewalk. Others called the place where she took the walk a trail, saying it was used for horseback riding and hiking. Government Code section 831.4, subdivision (a), provides that public entities are not liable for injuries caused by the condition of trails used for certain recreational purposes, including “hiking.” The trial court granted summary judgment, noting the City Council had designated the pathway as a trail and that it had been treated as a trail. The appellate court affirmed, noting uncontroverted evidence the path was designed to be used for multiple recreational purposes and was landscaped to simulate a natural area. Montenegro v. City of Bradbury  (Cal. App. Second Dist., Div. 4; April 25, 2013) 215 Cal.App.4th 924.