bicycle accident attorney

Bicycle Accident Results in $38 Million Verdict Against Valet Company

February 20, 2017 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

A valet company that did nothing to stop its drivers from cutting through alleys, barreling illegally across lanes of traffic and engaging in other reckless actions will pay $38 million to the bicyclist who was seriously injured by one of its employees.

According to The Seattle Times, injury attorneys for the bicyclist won the multi-million dollar case for their client after he suffered a traumatic brain injury, shattered hip, broken ribs and internal injuries. To this day, he can no longer ride a bike – which he used to do every day to and from work. In fact, he can’t even walk more than a short distance without the aid of crutches. Once an employee of the city’s traffic division, he is now permanently disabled. In addition to the surgeries and medical assistance he’s already needed – which has amounted to nearly $430,000 by the middle of 2015 – plaintiff is likely to need four or five more surgeries, his attorney explained.

At trial in Washington State, where the incident occurred, defendant valet company (a company that made $129 million in profits during the first three quarters of last year) had tried to argue the cyclist was at least partially responsible for his own injuries because he didn’t act sooner to the car crossing the street. But the car, driven by a 21-year-old employee of defendant, was reportedly moving across two lanes of travel at a perpendicular angle when he struck the cyclist. Jurors sided with plaintiff. Continue reading ›

Trucks Pose Risk of Bicycle Accident Injuries, Fatalities

October 26, 2016 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

A recent report by The Chicago Tribune lamented the fact there have been six bicyclists struck and killed by large commercial trucks in the city just this year alone. In a city that typically sees six bicycle deaths total every year, to reach that in September – with three more months of the year to go – is deeply troubling. That every single one involved a commercial truck highlights a more serious problem.

It’s one about which our Fort Myers bicycle accident lawyers are fully aware: Trucks pose a serious risk to cyclists. A number of different studies – from England to New York to Seattle – have found that large vehicles account for roughly a third of all bicycle fatalities, despite only accounting for about 7 percent of total traffic volume.

A 2012 study by the University of Washington explored why trucks and bicycles are often in conflict. Researchers noted that movement of freight is central to the local and regional economy, but simultaneously, bicycle travel is increasing and given priority. Bicycles have the potential to impede the flow of traffic, but the sheer size of trucks can do the same and is extremely intimidating to cyclists. One big problem in urban settings? Bicycle lane obstruction by trucks. Continue reading ›

Bicycle Accident Lawsuit Camicia v. City of Mercer Island Settles for $7M

November 26, 2015 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

It’s been nearly 10 years since plaintiff in Camicia v. City of Mercer Island was seriously injured in a Washington state bicycle accident that left her paralyzed. The case has been volleyed to various courts over the years on a number of issues, most recently to the Washington Supreme Court on the question of the applicability of the Recreational Use Statute. The high court remanded the case back to the trial court for further proceedings.

Now, less than two weeks before trial was scheduled, the city agreed to settle the case for $6.95 million. Another defendant, a construction company, settled weeks before that for a confidential sum.

Bicycle accidents are a serious problem nationally, but especially so here in Florida. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports in 2013, there were nearly 750 bicyclists killed and another 48,000 injured. Florida had the second-highest number of bicyclist fatalities that year with 133. However, the state with the most – California – had 141 – which is 6 percent higher, despite the fact that California’s population is 95 percent higher than Florida’s. Continue reading ›