Sausalito, Caltrans Face Another Mudslide Lawsuit

Already battling one lawsuit over a massive landslide last winter, Sausalito and Caltrans are now facing a second.

Winston Ashmead, who owns one of the properties damaged during the storm in February, alleges that a Caltrans project near Highway 101 and a road cut at the base of the hill above the property channeled water onto the hill and caused the slide, said Steven Blum, the plaintiff’s attorney.

Blum said the amount of damages his client is asking for has not yet been determined because the case is just entering the evidence discovery phase.

“This is a claim that a private property owner can have against government agencies when a public project damages their property,” he said. “In this case it’s caused by a Highway 101 project, which is used by millions of people everyday. But when something goes wrong it’s unfair to put the burden on homeowners.”