BHUSD Board Member Russell Stuart has accused the city of negligence after he was struck by a vehicle in November 2024. (photo courtesy of Russell Stuart)

Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education Member Rusell Stuart filed a lawsuit against Beverly Hills on Aug. 7, accusing the city of negligence in relation to a November 2024 incident where Stuart was critically injured.

The lawsuit centers around a carjacking that occurred on Nov. 14, 2024, near the “Rodeo Nights, Holiday Lights” event on Rodeo Drive. The suspect, 22-year old James Portul, was charged with carjacking and hit-and-run for stealing a black BMW X3 before fleeing in the vehicle. According to the Beverly Hills Police Department, Portul lost control of the BMW and crashed into four pedestrians near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Drive before fleeing on foot.

Stuart, one of the four victims, was critically injured in the collision, breaking both arms and “all of [his] ribs,” among other injuries, he said.

The lawsuit alleges that the city was negligent because there were no K-rails present at the intersection to prevent the collision.

“The complaint was filed only after the city denied our claim for damages for the significant injuries sustained,” Stuart’s attorney Barry Novack said. “The city failed to place available K-rails on the sidewalk in a position to protect against vehicles colliding with pedestrians thereby creating a foreseeable and preventable dangerous condition.”

The lawsuit demands that the city pay an undisclosed amount of money that includes Stuart’s medical expenses that resulted from the accident, “general damages” and the cost of the lawsuit.

Beverly Hills City Attorney Laurence Wiener responded to the lawsuit on behalf of the city.

“We are very sorry about the accident that Mr. Stuart was involved in last November. It was an unfortunate incident where a suspect involved in a nearby carjacking jumped the curb and struck Mr. Stuart with his vehicle,” Wiener said. “However, Mr. Stuart’s allegation that the city should have K-rail at every intersection to prevent this type of accident is unreasonable.”

In a November 2024 interview, Stuart said he was attending the “Rodeo Nights, Holiday Lights” event with his wife and 6-year-old daughter. As he was taking his dog home from the event, he stopped to buy his daughter a balloon at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Drive.

“I already had the balloon in my hand. I heard a screech of tires and turned my head slightly, saw a very large object next to me and I literally went blank. The next thing I remember I was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with one of the Beverly Hills firemen,” Stuart said.