Bicyclist Suffers Traumatic Injuries After Driver Opens Car Door into Bicyclist

Synopsis

On August 12, 2015, plaintiff was riding his bicycle in the bike lane in San Francisco, California, during lunchtime. All of a sudden, defendant opened the door of a parked car without looking, striking plaintiff. The door slammed into the right side of plaintiff’s neck, throwing plaintiff off his bike onto the street. Defendant did not dispute liability.

Defendant’s negligence resulted in significant injuries to plaintiff, including loss of consciousness, a mild traumatic brain injury, traumatic injury to his trachea, a broken rib, and right shoulder impingement.

Damages

Plaintiff’s past medical expenses were $154,836.75 for a three day hospitalization at San Francisco General and subsequent medical treatment, including shoulder surgery. Plaintiff also claimed lost earnings of $700,000 from bonuses plaintiff did not receive as general counsel for a technology company due to his decrease in work output while recuperating. The non-economic damages were significant and included a loss of consortium claim for plaintiff’s wife.

Result

Within 14 months of plaintiffs retaining The Veen Firm , the defendant driver tendered his full auto policy and the plaintiff’s UIM carrier paid the entire limits, for a global pre-litigation settlement of $1,005,000.