Bicycle Accident Lawyer Case Summary
This bicycle accident lawsuit was brought by a bicyclist who suffered a personal injury after a UPS truck driver made an illegal left-hand turn on a green light. The Philadelphia bicycle accident lawyers for the victim argued that the defendant car driver did not wait for him to cross the intersection before attempting the left-hand turn.
Philadelphia Bicycle Accident Claims and Facts
Evidence was clear that both drivers had a green light, and that the car driver was making a left. The bicyclist was struck on his right leg, resulting in a fracture of his tibia that required surgery. The defense argued that the bicyclist was not paying attention as he traveled through the intersection, and that is why this accident occurred.
Bicycle Accident Award
The jury found that the car driver was 100% at fault, and awarded the plaintiff $150,000 for his personal injuries and personal injury medical bills.
Bicycle Accident Discussion
It is very difficult to defend a case where the driver is making a left. We lawyers call these “left-hand turn cases.” The ‘Rules of the Road’ dictate that if a driver is making a left at an intersection, even on a green light, they must wait until ALL opposing traffic has passed. The coast must be absolutely clear. If a collision occurs, it is 99.9% of the time the fault of the driver making the left. When a client calls me for a new case, and tells me that he or she was making the left, I don’t take the case unless there are strong facts that show fault on the driver. So for example, if an independent witness states that the driver was driving recklessly, etc…. that would perhaps motivate me to take the case, but only if the personal injuries were serious enough. You can be certain that an insurance company will not settle such a case with me, so a lawsuit would be necessary.