City Council approves lawsuit settlement, bringing 2024 total to nearly $800,000

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – As of 2024, the city of Wichita has already paid out nearly $800,000 in settlements.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted 6-1 to approve a settlement related to a lawsuit arising from an incident in which a passenger fell while aboard a city transit vehicle.

The only council member to vote against the settlement was Mayor Lily Wu. In an email, Wu explained her vote, saying she opposed the settlement because of concerns about the growing number of settlements in the city this year, which she noted would ultimately be funded by taxpayers.

Documents shared by Wu show that seven lawsuits have been settled so far in 2024, amounting to nearly $800,000.

That doesn’t include $244,000 in other claims, bringing the total to almost $1 million.

The largest settlement, $550,000, was awarded in a lawsuit over the Wichita Police Department’s gang list. The city’s self-insurance fund for 2024 is $2.5 million. There is currently $1.4 million remaining in the self-insurance fund.