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King County, WA jury awards $874,400 to motorcyclist after finding UPS to be at fault in a motorcycle collision with a delivery van

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Monday, October 15, 2007
Result Date: 
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monetary Result: 
$1,093,000
Motorcyclist Kevin Hartley was travelling on 15th Avenue West in Seattle when a UPS courier failed to yield the right-of-way to opposing traffic. Hartley's motorcycle subsequently collided with the delivery van. He sustained multiple fractures, including to his ankle, leg, tibula, hand and wrist. The motorcyclist suffered permanent disfigurement; he now walks with a limp and experiences chronic pain. The defendent, UPS, contended that Hartley was driving behind the van and struck the back bumper, placing the proximate cause of the accident on him. The jury found that the courier and the UPS company to be 80% at fault, while Hartley was 20% at fault due to his own contributory negligence. Therefore the award of $1,093,000 was reduced to $874,400.

Motorcyclist's lawyers win his case after being injured in a head-on accident with a pickup truck

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Result Date: 
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monetary Result: 
$850,100
  On July 21, 2007, at 10:40 a.m., Len Briese was riding his motorcycle west on Scotts Valley Road, east of Laurel Dell in an unincorporated Lake County, California. William James Tilley, a resident of Oklahoma, was driving his pickup truck with a trailer east on Scotts Valley Road and collided with plaintiff’s motorcycle. Tilley said he crossed over the center line in a curve and sideswiped Briese on his motorcycle. As a result of the accident, Briese suffered a leg fracture, a degloving injury to knee and had to receive knee replacement surgery. Briese sued Tilley for his negligence in causing the accident. Tilley did not contend that Briese had any fault in the accident. There were two attempts to mediate a settlement to the accident, however an agreement over the damages was not reached, and therefore the case went to court. In the end, Briese and his attorneys won, receiving an award of $850,100.

Motorcyclist's lawyers win his case after being involved in an accident with a pickup truck in San Bernardino, California, sustaining a brain injury

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Friday, July 20, 2007
Result Date: 
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monetary Result: 
$556,371
  On July 20, 2007, Kiven Dawson, a 46-year-old truck driver, was riding his motorcycle north on Meridian Avenue in San Bernardino, California when he struck a pickup truck driven by Norma Ortiz. Although he does not have memory of the accident due to a brain injury he sustained as a result, based on his police report, he claims that Ortiz was driving southbound when she made a left hand turn in his ath, resulting in the accident. Dawson decided to sue Ortiz, and the owner of her vehicle, Alfonso Torres for negligent driving. Ortiz and Torres argued that Dawson was inattentive. A biomechanics expert brought fourth by their lawyers testified that he believed Dawson was speeding and could have avoided the accident had he been operating the bike at an appropriate speed. Dawson claimed that he sustained permanent disability, rendering him unable to work in his profession, which was a claim disputed by Ortiz and Torres' lawyers. The jury ultimately ruled in favor of Dawson, finding Ortiz and Torres 100% liable. He was awarded $556,371.

Fresno jury awards $1,085,439.15 to parents of a young motorcycle rider

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Result Date: 
Monday, July 7, 2008
Monetary Result: 
$1,085,439
On May 26, 2007, at about midnight, Hilari N. Sloan, 20, a college student and hostess, was injured while riding as a passenger on the rear of a motorcycle driven by Brad Jacob Stephens at the intersection of Copper and Minnewawa avenues in Clovis. Sloan sustained a severe closed head injury and massive facial injuries. She was placed on life support, but died several days later. Stephens and Sloan were travelling eastbound on Copper. After two other motorcycles in front of them made a right turn at the intersection to proceed southbound on Minnewawa, Stephens accelerated through the intersection. Phillis Elaine Steele, who was traveling northbound on Minnewawa and had stopped her car at a stop sign, pulled into the intersection, assuming that all three motorcycles were turning right. The Stephens and Sloan motorcycle then crashed into the front driver side of the Steele vehicle, causing Stephens, Sloan, and the motorcycle to fly over the car. Sloan's parents, Dee Anna and Gordon D. Sloan, sued Stephens and his mother, Elizabeth Palm, the vehicle owner, and Phillis and Bennie L. Steele for motor vehicle negligence. They argued that Phillis Steele negligently entered the intersection from the stop sign. They also allegated that Stephens was negligent for not recognizing the potential hazard with two motorcycles turning in front of him and a car at the stop sign, failing to maintain a slow speed or accelerate slowly, flashing his high beams, covering his brakes, and placing the decedent in a helmet that was too large for her head. Steele admitted fault, but agreed with the Sloans’ negligence contentions against Stephens. Stephens argued that he was not speeding, that he had the right of way, that he violated no laws, that he did not have his right­hand turn signal on, that he was in the left­hand side of the lane, that he had no time for evasive maneuvers, and that Steele was totally at fault. The parties disputed whether the decedent’s helmet came off during the accident, and whether Stephens had taken Zoloft and Xanax that day and drank one beer. Her parents sought between $1 million and $2 million in non-economic damages. Stevens requested a defense verdict, or an award of $400,000 to $500,000. Stephens and Palm had $1.1 million in liability insurance through State Farm. The Sloans had $100,000 of underinsured motorist coverage by CSAA. The jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding Stephens 22% at fault and Steele 78% at fault, awarding $1,085,439.15 in damages. The plaintiffs recovered $1 million in non-economic damages, and $85,439.15 in funeral and hospital expenses.