Public roads left in bad condition can be a dangerous place for bicyclists to ride. A new California personal injury case involves the payment of $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit from an injured bicyclist.
William Y., the injured bicyclist, became a quadriplegic after he was involved in a serious crash while riding on Los Angeles public roads. After his accident, William filed a personal injury lawsuit for damages against the City of Los Angeles.
Injured Bicyclist Sues the City of La for Sever Harm
The Los Angeles City Council recently voted to approve the payout and end the legal dispute brought by William. William initiated the personal injury lawsuit against the city over three years ago. According to William, his front tire hit a strip of pavement that was raised off the ground by 4 inches due to a tree root.
According to the bicycle injury lawsuit, William was thrown from his bicycle and landed directly on the pavement. Despite the fact that he was wearing a helmet, the severe impact of the crash caused him to suffer critical injuries. According to the injured bicyclist lawsuit, the City of Los Angeles had received numerous complaints regarding the dangerous condition of that particular road but never took action to fix it.
Although the Bureau of Street Services in Los Angeles had previously inspected the road, they determined that the condition of the street was a non-emergency. The City had investigated the roadway prior to the accident for the purpose of utility maintenance. Unfortunately, none of the inspectors reported that the bike lane had a dangerous lift in the pavement.
According to the injured bicyclist lawsuit, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation did not comply with the government road surface standards when the bike lane was initially installed. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation is accused of simply painting white lines and arrow markers on the surface along with traffic signs without repairing or examining the road surface.
Any road condition that causes serious injuries for motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists could form the basis of an injury suit. According to the lawsuit, it’s the city’s responsibility to be aware of dangerous conditions and to warn residents about those conditions or fix the issues entirely. Many people in the city have used the complaints system to notify city officials about unreasonable risks, but when left unchecked, certain conditions can cause accidents or injuries.
Every year the City of Los Angeles faces dozens of lawsuits associated with bicycle crashes on its roads. In 2017 a minimum of 17 lawsuits have already been filed. Just last month, the city settled another seven-figure lawsuit involving an injured bicyclist.
Cyclists who have been hurt in an accident may have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim with the help of an experienced legal professional. You can obtain a free case evaluation with a California personal injury attorney by filling out the form on this page.
