$2.4 Million Settlement in Wrongful Death Lawsuit over Fatal Bicycle Accident
A $2.4 million dollar settlement has been reached in a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Menlo Park1:
Deborah Johnson, 54, was riding her bike with a friend on Sand Hill Road on a Sunday afternoon in July 2007 when she fell and struck her head. She was taken to Stanford University Medical Center, and pronounced dead two days later.
Her husband, John Gerrity, told The Daily News that Johnson’s friend saw her fall from her bike after hitting an object in the bike lane — the flat black octagonal rubber base of a “candlestick” delineator that had become separated from its plastic orange pole. The lane divider should never have been there in the first place, he said.
Mr. Gerrity is now advocating for safer bike lanes and strict adherence to state and federal regulations:
According to the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, used by road managers nationwide, “posts or raised pavement markers should not be used to separate bicycle lanes from adjacent travel lanes.” The same notation is made in the state’s adaptation of the manual.
The underlying problem with this and hundreds of other accidents is inadequate and poorly enforced safety regulations for construction zones, particularly temporary work zones.
1. http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_15280180?nclick_check=1
Bicycle Death Lawsuit Follows Garbage Truck Accident
An Arizona garbage truck accident resulted in the death of a bicyclist and now the victim’s family has filed a lawsuit against the city of Tucson, which owned the garbage truck, according to local news sources. The $4 million lawsuit alleges that the driver took too wide of a right turn and failed to look out for the bicycle rider, traveling behind him in the same direction. The truck turned before the cyclist had time to stop and the collision killed the biker.
Although the driver faces no criminal charges, a detective from the Arizona Department of Public Safety commented that a “contributing factor to the collision would be the wide/late right turn into the plant by the truck driver. The cyclist could have perceived the truck was continuing straight ahead.” The detective also said only one of the truck’s turn signals would have been visible to the cyclist in the seconds leading up to the crash.
Bicycle and Truck Collision Information
The bike safety lawyers at Pritzker Olsen are currently handling a bicycle accident case in which a truck swerved into a bicycle lane and killed the bicyclist. Bicycle-garbage truck accidents can also happen if the truck turns, as in this case, or if the truck runs a stop sign or backs up unexpectedly. Victims of garbage truck-bicycle accidents may have a legal claim against the truck driver, the garbage truck company or others.
Source:
http://www.azdailysun.com/news/local/article_7dbccd9e-70ba-5a53-9a41-a453cf444fb8.html
Rosemount Teenager Killed in MN Bicycle Accident
A 15-year-old boy was hit and killed by an SUV on May 30, 2009. The young man was from Rosemount, Minnesota. The accident happened on County Road 27 north of Eagle Lake in Blue Earth County.
This was the second fatal bicycle accident in Minnesota in May. On May 20, a bicyclist was killed when a semi-trailer turned and struck him at an intersection.
“I bike to work every day,” stated attorney Fred Pritzker of Pritzker Olsen, a Minnesota law firm that represents victims of bicycle accidents and their families. “I am personally aware of the dangers on the road, and that drivers just don’t look for bicyclists.”
Two of the major contributing factors in bicycle-motorist crashes are:
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Failure to see bicyclists due to inattentive driving
Pritzker Olsen urges all motorists to watch for bicyclists, especially children. We stand with Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel, who stated. “We want motorists to recognize bicyclists as people, not obstructions. . .”
If you would like a free consultation with an attorney at Pritzker Olsen, please call 1-888-377-8900 or submit our form for a free consultation with an attorney.
For a LOOK Bumper Sticker: jon@outdoordesignllc.com
Minneapolis Truck-Bicycle Accident Results in Death
A bicyclist was killed this morning when a commercial truck driver turned into the cycling lane on Park Avenue. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Our law firm is currently handling a case very much like this one. On August 15, 2008, Julie Casey died when she and her bicycle were struck by a semi-truck-trailer combination at a busy intersection. Her death was caused by the negligence of the truck driver and was entirely preventable if the driver had been looking where he was going and paying attention to bicyclists traveling on an adjoining bicycle path. Read about the LOOK bumper sticker designed in memory of Julie.
Attorney Fred Pritzker is an avid cyclist and former racer. He represents bicycle accident victims and their families with passion and understanding. We welcome family members to contact Fred or another attorney at our law firm to help protect the family’s legal rights: 612-338-0202 or submit our free consultation form.