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Deceased motorcyclist's family and their lawyers win their case after their family member died in a motorcycle accident, striking a left-turning vehicle in Los Olivos, California

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Result Date: 
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monetary Result: 
$814,055
  On March 18, 2008, Lawrence Lovejoy, 74, was riding his motorcycle on Highway 154 in Los Olivos, California when a car operated by Harriet Ann Visscher turned left in front of him as it was entering the road. Lovejoy crashed into the side of the car. He died from injuries sustained in the accident, while Visscher died of a heart attack six hours later. Lovejoy's surviving family sued Visscher's estate for motor vehicle negligence. The family and their lawyers argued that Visscher's negligent driving was the sole cause cause of the accidetnt. At the time of his death, Lovejoy, a former California Highway Patrol officer, was a part-time employee with an auto parts company, earning 9$ per hour. His family claimed that Lovejoy could have been expected to live for another 10 years, during which time he would have continued working and also collecting his retirement funds from his career as an officer. They therefore sought lost wages due to his death. In the end, the jury sided with Lovejoy's family, awarding them $814,055, of which $138,000 was for the economic support he would have provided the family, had he lived.

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.

Off-duty officer injured in motorcycle accident with a car and his lawyers win their lawsuit against negligent motorist

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Saturday, October 8, 2005
Result Date: 
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monetary Result: 
$742,907
  On Oct. 8, 2005, Ronald Knittel, 50, a K­9 officer with the federal government, was riding his motorcycle in Concord, CA. On the road ahead of him, motorist Nancy Choi was lost, looking for a soccer field. She pulled to the right to begin a U­turn, however Knittel misunderstood, thinking she was letting him pass. He attempted to pass her on the left within the lane. When Choi began the U-turn, Knittel swerved to the left in an attempt to avoid collision, but his motorcycle crashed into the left front side of her car. The motorcycle slid, hit the curb and threw Knittel roughly 15 feet onto the air, throwing him onto the asphalt. Due to the accident, Knittel lost consciousness and experienced temporary lower extremity paralysis. He was hospitalized overnight, then released as stable. He claimed headaches, radiating arm pain, lower back and leg pain. Knittel sued Choi for her negligence in causing the accident. Choi denied pulling to the right and testified that she activated her turn signal. She intended to pull into the driveway of an air ambulance business. Her lawyers argued that Knittel simply passed a slow-­moving vehicle at approximately 50 mph only four feet to the left of the centerline and that he did not notice Choi’s turn signal as he was focused on an oncoming vehicle. Knittel insisted that he could no longer take the pain and planned to retire in April 2010 at age 55 after 20 years of service. Although Knittel worked full time since his return to work in January 2006, due to his early retirement and inability to work overtime since the accident, Knittel contended that his pension would be less than it would have been, had there been no accident. Choi's attorneys responded that Knittel had only a transient aggravation to his pre­existing chronic neck and back problems, for which he underwent three sets of MRIs (two neck, one back) before the accident. Her attorneys also denied that Knittel needed surgery, contending that the accident caused a flare up or aggravation lasting about three months. Ultimately, Knittel and his attorneys won, awarding him $742,907. Choi was determined to be 75-percent at fault, while Knittel was found to be 25-percent at fault.

Deceased motorcyclist's wife and her lawyers win her case against a driver her drove in front of him, resulting in his death in Snohomish County, Washington

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Result Date: 
Thursday, June 8, 2006
Monetary Result: 
$615,773
  David Aultman was driving his Yamaha motorcycle north on State Route 9 in Snohomish County, Washington on September 20, 2003. Meanwhile, Margaret Blystone was driving her car west on 164th Street SE and stopped at a stop sign at the intersection with State Route 9. She began to proceed into the intersection, placing her car in the way of Mr. Aultman. According to his family and attorneys, he did not have enough time to avoid hitting her, and he and his motorcycle collided with the side of Mrs. Blystone's vehicle. Mr. Aultman died in the accident as a result of blunt-force trauma.  Mr. Aultman's wife Bonnie filed a wrongful death lawsuit in 2004 against Mrs. Blystone and her husband Olin. She and her attorneys argued that Mrs. Blystone's negligence was the single factor that caused the accident and her husband's death. She sought damages on behalf of her husband for physical pain and suffering, mental and emotional suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium (loss of her spouse and his support), and medical and funeral expenses. The Blystones denied any negligence, and contended that Mr. Aultman had negligently operated his vehicle. They brought an expert witness, an accident reconstructionist, who concluded that Mr. Aultman shoudl have been able to stop before the collision. He had, according to the expert, applied his brakes too heavily, resulting in him losing control. Ultimately, the jury sided with Mrs. Aultman and her lawyers, awarding a total of $615,773.29. Mr. Aultman was not found to have contributed to the accident.

Motorcyclist and his lawyers win his case against Saudi Arabian Airlines and Budget Rent-a-Car after he suffers severe injuries, awarding him $984,524

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Tuesday, January 26, 1993
Result Date: 
Friday, March 3, 1995
Monetary Result: 
$984,254
  On January 26, 1993, John Randolph was riding his motorcycle west on the Pacific Coast Highway in the right lane. Fahad Abdullah Maghrabi, an employee of Saudi Arabian Airlines, was stopped on Corral Canyon waiting to turn onto the highway to drive east. According to a police report, Maghrabi, who was driving a rental car from Budget Rent-A-Car, did not see Randolph coming and proceeded into the highway, causing a collision between Randolph's motorcycle and his car. The police report stated that Maghrabi was at fault due to his failure to yield to oncoming traffic. As a result of the accident Randolph suffered extensive injuries. He suffered severe injuries to his left knee that ultimately lead to an artificial knee replacement. He additionally suffered injuries his pelvis, leading to sexual dysfunction. Randolph and his wife, Johanne Randolph, sued Maghrabi's employer, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Budget Rent-a-Car for motor vehicle negligence, as Maghrabi failed to yield to traffic. He sued due to his expenses and lost wages resulting from his injuries, and his wife sued due to the loss of a spousal relationship (loss of consortium) with her husband. The defending parties' lawyers admitted that Maghrabi was negligent, and that Randolph did not contribute to the cause of the accident. The court ruled that since Maghrabi was doing an assignment from his employer and that he was the driver permitted to use the rented vehicle, that his employer Saudi Arabian Airlines was liable for the injuries and other damages that resulted from his negligence. Both side's lawyers brought expert medical witnesses to the stand. The court found that Randolph's doctors provided more compelling testimony. Randolphs lawyers' brought his primary care doctor, who had treated him for nine years, to the stand, stating that his injuries were sustained in the accident. The defendants' doctor, who had only seen Randolph in one visit, argued otherwise. The court found that Randolph's expert medical witness' testimony was more compelling than that of the defendants'. Ultimately the court sided with the Randolphs, awarding them $984,254. Saudi Arabian Airlines was liable for a total of $914,254 to John Randolph. Budget's maximum liability of $15,000 was also awarded to him. The loss of consortium to his wife, Johanne Randolph, was aportioned at $55,000, $40,000 of liability from Saudi Ariabian Airlines, and $15,000 from Budget. John Randolph was found by the court to be entitled to $164,254 of special damages, including $115,646 for past medical expenses, $33,750 for future medical expenses, $8,858 for past income, and $6,000 for future income. He was also found to be entitled to $750,000 for general damages, including $200,000 for past sexual dysfunction and $50,000 for future sexual dysfunction. This total also included $300,000 for past pain and suffering, $150,000 for future pain and suffering associated with the knee replacement. and $50,000 for other future pain and suffering. The award of $40,000 general damages to his wife consisted of $30,000 for past lost consortium, and $10,000 for future lost consortium.

Deceased motorcyclist's parents and their lawyers win their case against a laundry company after one of their drivers struck and killed their son

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Monday, February 1, 1988
Result Date: 
Saturday, December 1, 1990
Monetary Result: 
$850,000

Mr. Martin, a 23-year-old airline baggage clerk was riding his motorcycle in February, 1988 when it collided with a laundry delivery truck owned by Peerless Laundry making a left turn into Martin's path. Mr. Martin died as a result of the accident.

Martin's parents decided to sue the laundry company for the wrongful death of their son. During the trial, it was revealed that the driver at the time was actually an accounts-payable clerk who happened to be filling in as a driver that day. Martin's parents and their lawyers argued that the laundry company was negligent in using an untrained employee as a driver, and that the driver was searching for an address at the time of the accident. They produced witnesses that stated that their son was driving within the speed limit with his headlight on at the time of the crash.

The dendant laundry company contended that the driver was not negligent. They argued that Martin was driving over 100 MPH at the time of the crash without his headlight on.

In the end, the jury sided with Martin's parents and their lawyers, awarding them $850,000.

Lawyers of deceased youth's parents win their clients $567,345 after their son died in a motorcycle accident with a commercial vehicle

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Friday, May 8, 1987
Result Date: 
Monday, April 2, 1990
Monetary Result: 
$907,751
  This accident was occured when a 17-year-old motorcyclist collided with a commercial vehicle at a busy intersection, resulting in the youth's death. The incident occurred at 7 p.m. on May 8, 1987 in clear weather, at an intersection with two lanes and a left­ hand turn lane running south to north and two lanes north to south, in the City of Lafayette, California. Michael Richardson, 45-years-old and Audrey Richardson are the parents of a 17-year-old boy who was killed in a motorcycle accident. They argued that an employee of the defending copmany, Style Master Exteriors, who was driving a car, took an illegal left turn which blocked the boy’s right of way. The boy’s motorcycle crashed into the car, and he died at the site of the accident. The parents claimed the illegal left turn was the cause of the accident and that the driver, and therefore his comapany as well, were the negligent party. The case was settled against the driver himself before trial for his insurance policy limits of $15,000. The driver's employer, Style Master Exteriors, argued the crash was caused by the negligence of the motorcycle rider. They alleged that the motorcyclist was racing with another boy. They claimed he therefore was driving too fast and following the other boy too closely, and that this caused him to be inattentive to vehicles in the intersection. The employer further claimed that, because the boy died of a head injury and was not wearing a helmet, his injuries were caused by his own negligence. The vehicle driver's employer also claimed the boy’s mother negligently entrusted her son with the motorcycle. Ultimately, the Richardsons won their suit against the employer of the vehicle's driver, Style Master Exteriors. The total amount awarded to the deceased motorcyclist's parents totaled $907,751. Their son, however, was found to be 37.5% at fault, and therefore the total amount they recieved totaled $567,345.

Motorcyclist's lawyers win against the Yamaha Corporation after motorcycle accident, alleging defective design

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Saturday, March 19, 1983
Result Date: 
Friday, June 14, 1985
Monetary Result: 
$1,652,000
  On March 19, 1983 the Plaintiff, Timothy Aston, a 17-year-old motorcyclist was riding a 1982 Yamaha Seca 400 motorcycle. He was hit on the side of his motorcycle by a motorist who ran a red light. Aston received a traumatic crushing injury to his leg. Doctors attempted to save it, however the leg was totally crushed and had to be amputated below the knee. Aston argued that the design of the motorcycle was defective, in that it lacked side protection safeguards, and that he was unaware of the dangerous design of motorcycles when his mother bought him his Yamaha. Aston also argued that the Department of Transportation studies, in which Aston's expert, Dr. Peterson, was involved, ended in 1975, with recommendations that side protections be designed into motorcycles, or for consumers to be warned of their dangers in use. Aston contended that Yamaha has deliberately neglected, for ten years, for financial reasons, to even crash-­test motorcycles, fearing the tests would confirm the Department of Transportation studies. The Defendant, the Yamaha Motor Corporation, argued that the design was not at all defective, and that Aston was comparatively at fault for accelerating into the intersection on the green light without looking to see the vehicle running the red light. Ultimately the jury sided with the Aston, awarding him $1,652,000 for his injuries.

Lawyers of deceased motorcyclist's family win their case against the City of San Francisco, awarding the family $792,500

Accident Type: 
Motorcycle Accident
Incident Date: 
Monday, June 28, 1982
Result Date: 
Friday, September 4, 1987
Monetary Result: 
$792,500
  Henry Washington, 51, was driving his motorcyle west on Folsom Street at 10:00 a.m. on June 28, 1982, in San Francisco. At the intersection of 13th Street, a car made a left turn and Washington ran into the vehicle, killing him. Washinton's surviving family decided to sue the city of San Francisco for negligent road design. They argued that dangerous conditions existed at this intersection due to 13th Street being directly under a freeway. It was claimed that the freeway support pillars, located on the center median strip, blocked the view of oncoming traffic to left turning vehicles. Their lawyers brought expert witnesses to testify. An accident reconstructionist testified that the configuration of the intersection, and its restricted sight lines, did not allow sufficient reaction times to allow a left turning vehicle to perceive and avoid a collision in these circumstances. In addition, they also brought a traffic engineer who testified that the intersection was dangerous, and that a protected left turn arrow phase was feasible at the intersection, and would have alleviated the danger. The City of San Francisco's lawyers argued that there was sufficient sight distance to allow left turning vehicles to see oncoming traffic. It was further claimed that the accident history did not show a dangerous condition. Their lawyers also brought expert witnesses to the stand. An engineering photographer testified that his photographs showed a good sight line between the vehicles, for at least three and a half seconds before the collision point. Ultimately the case was won by Washington's family. Their award was valued at $792,500, however it was reduced as 60% of liability was with the left-turning driver, 25% to the city, and 15% to Washington himself.