$70K SETTLEMENT – San Francisco Bicycle Accident While Test-Riding Bike from Shop

$70K Settlement – San Francisco Bicycle Accident While Test-Riding Bike from Shop

A young software engineer had recently moved to San Francisco, and wanted to buy a bicycle for his primary mode of transportation around the City. He went to a bicycle shop in the Mission District where he could test ride one of their bicycles before purchasing it. Thus, the young man took one of the bicycles for a quick-spin in the residential neighborhood surrounding the shop.

San Francisco Bicycle Accident Overview

When the young engineer was about three blocks away from the bicycle shop, an automobile traveling in front of him put its right turn signal on, and slowed down to parallel park. Thus, the young engineer attempted to slowly proceed past the vehicle. Out of nowhere and without warning, the vehicle abruptly swung left and made an illegal U-turn in the middle of the street. In doing so, the vehicle crashed right into the young man on his bicycle, causing him to be launched off of the bicycle and into the air, and be flung onto the street pavement. The young man landed so hard on his left shoulder that his left collarbone snapped.

The San Francisco Police Department arrived to the scene of the accident, and the young man was thereafter taken by ambulance to the hospital. Due to the severity of the young man’s collarbone fracture, he was forced to undergo surgery to reset his collarbone and fix the break with the implantation of hardware. He ended up needing several months of rehabilitative treatment, and was forced to miss several days of work due to the accident. The bicyclist knew he needed help, so he contact us to be his bicycle accident attorneys.

Initial Consultation

The first thing we discovered was unfortunately that the driver that was liable for the accident had only $50,000 of auto insurance coverage, which was only a little more than the young man’s accumulating medical expenses. This is so common in bicycle accident cases in San Francisco, but we wouldn’t let that stop us. Our legal team hammered away at finding all possible avenues of recovery for this young engineer in order to ensure that he was compensated for all his damages relating to the accident.

The young engineer did not have a vehicle, and thus had no auto insurance coverage to recover from. Furthermore, he was new to San Francisco and had no other insurance coverage available for recovery. As a last resort, the team contacted the bicycle shop in the Mission District to find out if they had any insurance coverage for accidents that occur during test-rides. Luckily, the bicycle shop carried Medical Payment insurance coverage, which we were able to tap into in order to cover the extensive medical bills the young man had due to the accident.

The Settlement

With the extra Medical Payment coverage, and the $50,000 policy limits we recovered from the liable driver, our legal team was able to not only get this young man’s medical expenses covered, but his loss of earnings, out of pocket expenses, and pain and suffering he endured as a result of the accident. This young man was extremely grateful that we were able to locate and exhaust all possible avenues of recovery for him, and very happy that he retained Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers as his San Francisco bicycle accident attorneys to represent him in his bicycle accident!

Case Study: Bicycle Accident in San Francisco

Client: A young software engineer recently relocated to San Francisco.

Incident: While on a test ride at a bicycle shop in the Mission District, the client was involved in a collision with a car. The car made an illegal U-turn, striking the client and causing a severe fracture to his left collarbone.

Legal Challenges:

• Limited Insurance Coverage: The at-fault driver had only $50,000 in auto insurance, which was insufficient to cover the client’s medical expenses and other damages.
• Lack of Personal Insurance: The client did not have personal auto insurance or other relevant coverage.

Legal Strategies:

• Aggressive Negotiation: The legal team aggressively negotiated with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to maximize the settlement within the policy limits.
• Additional Coverage: The team successfully identified and leveraged Medical Payment coverage from the bicycle shop to supplement the insufficient auto insurance coverage.
• Thorough Investigation: A comprehensive investigation was conducted to gather evidence and build a strong case.

Outcome:

• Full Compensation: The client received compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages, despite the limited insurance coverage.
• Client Satisfaction: The client expressed gratitude for the legal team’s efforts in securing a favorable outcome.

Lessons Learned:

• Insurance Importance: The case highlights the importance of adequate insurance coverage, particularly for individuals involved in high-risk activities like cycling.
• Legal Representation: Hiring experienced legal counsel can be crucial in maximizing compensation in bicycle accident cases, even when faced with limited insurance coverage.
• Diligent Investigation: Thorough investigation and evidence gathering are essential for building a strong case and achieving a favorable outcome.

If you or someone you care about has suffered serious injuries in a bicycle accident, get your FREE case evaluation now.

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