A serious workplace accident has led to a legal battle between an injured individual and a state department. James Kehoe filed a complaint against the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on March 20, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. The lawsuit stems from an incident where Kehoe was severely injured due to alleged negligence at a Caltrans-operated maintenance yard.
According to the court documents, James Kehoe was present at the Caltrans maintenance yard located at 110 Rickard Street in San Francisco on October 22, 2024. During his visit, a Caltrans employee attempted to unload steel beams from a truck using a forklift that was reportedly too small for the task. Despite warnings about the inadequacy of the forklift's size, the employee proceeded with the unloading. This decision resulted in the forklift tipping over under the weight of the beams, causing them to fall and strike Kehoe on the head. The impact led to significant injuries for which Kehoe sought medical treatment.
Kehoe's legal counsel argues that Caltrans is liable under Government Code Section 815.2, which holds public entities accountable for injuries caused by their employees' actions within their employment scope. The complaint alleges that Caltrans and its employees failed in their duty of care by using inappropriate equipment and not warning bystanders like Kehoe about potential dangers. "Plaintiff alleges that Defendant Caltrans and its employees owned and operated the forklift involved in this incident in a negligent manner," states one part of the filing.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court, including general damages for pain and suffering, special damages for medical expenses incurred due to his injuries, and compensation for lost wages resulting from his inability to work post-accident. Additionally, Kehoe anticipates future losses in income due to impaired earning capacity caused by his injuries.
The case is being handled by attorney Gunter Mihaescu from Oakland-based Law Office of Gunter Mihaescu. The presiding judge over this matter is yet unnamed as per available documents, but it has been assigned Case ID CGC-25-623495.