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Motorcyclist's lawyers win case against negligent driver and mechanic who installed faulty brakes in Los Angeles, California

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Monday, October 1, 1990
Result Date: 
Sunday, January 1, 1995
Monetary Result: 
$929,000
  Mr. Baeza, a 25-year-old carpenter, was driving his motorcycle through an intersection where he had right-of-way when a pickup truck driven by Mr. Ortiz drove through his stop sign, striking Mr. Baeza's motorcycle. As a result of the accident, Mr. Baeza suffered multiple skull and facial fractures, resulting in brain damage and personality disorder, loss of the sense of smell, and loss of vision in the right eye; fractures of both forearms, resulting in limited motion to both wrists; and an injury to the testicles. Due to his severe injuries, Mr. Baeza and his lawyers decided to sue both Mr. Ortiz, and the company that had changed his motorcycle's rear tire and brake pads three days before the incident, USS Enterprises. He argued that Mr. Ortiz had neglected his right-of-way when he drove through the stop sign into his lane. Mr. Ortiz had no insurance and was dismissed from the trial. USS Enterprises and their attorneys admitted that the rear break was not working at the time of the accident, however they argued that Mr. Baeza was speeding and would not have been able to avoid the pickup even if the rear breaks had been working. In the end, Mr. Baeza and his lawyers had won their case, winning an award of $929,000. He was found, however, to be 35% negligent, and Mr. Ortiz, who was dismissed from the trial was found to be 60% negligent, and USS Enterprises was found 5% negligent. Therefore the total award was reduced to $154,000.

Seattle motorcyclist's lawyers win his case against a pickup driver who pulled into an intersection in his path, winning $726,000

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Thursday, July 19, 1990
Result Date: 
Thursday, February 13, 1992
Monetary Result: 
$726,000
  On July 19, 1990, Rudy Cantu, a 24-year-old auto-body painter, was driving on South Cloverdale Street in Seattle, Washington on his motorcycle. As he was crossing 5th Avenue South a pickup truck, driven by Ronald Dick, drove into the path of Cantu from 5th Avenue, then stopped in front of him, resulting in Cantu slamming into Dick's truck. Cantu sustained serious injuries in the accident. He sustained serious fractures on both arms, sustained lacerations and wounds to his abdomen, resulting in damage to his liver and spleen.  Cantu decided to sue Dick for the cost of his medical expenses that resulted from the accident. He argued that when Dick was negligent because he drove into the intersection without seeing the motorcyle. Furthermore, when he stopped his truck in Cantu's path, he further contributed to the accident. Dick argued that he stopped the truck in order to give Cantu a chance to move around the vehicle and avoid the accident, and therefore Cantu was negligent by not taking evasive action. In the end, the jury sided with Cantu, awarding him $726,000. He was considered to be 7.5% negligent in the incident, so his overall award was reduced to $672,000.