Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP attorneys Brian Panish, Spencer Lucas and Jefferson Saylor obtained a $6,500,000 settlement for a man who was catastrophically injured when he was thrown from his bicycle after coming into contact with a large pothole while riding through the streets of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles City Council approved the settlement on Wednesday, September 6 with a 11-0 vote.
“We are happy that the City has taken responsibility for the safety of the roadway at issue that caused Mr. Godefroy’s life-changing injury,” Mr. Lucas says of the settlement. “We are proud of the bravery that Peter and his family have shown throughout this case and hope that this settlement can improve the quality of his life despite his ongoing injuries.”
On the afternoon of May 2, 2015, Plaintiff Peter Godefroy was legally riding his bicycle on Valley Vista Boulevard near Woodman Avenue in the City of Los Angeles. Unable to avoid a large pothole in the road, the Sherman Oaks resident was forced to ride over it and lost control of his bicycle, falling to the ground. As a result of the accident, the 56-year-old cyclist suffered severe injuries including a traumatic brain injury as well as numerous broken bones throughout his body.
Despite the high presence of pedestrian and a bicyclist traffic in the area and the negligently maintained roadway, there were no warning signs alerting the public of this dangerous condition.
For more information on what to do if you, or someone you love, is involved in a bicycle accident, click here.
Read the Los Angeles Times story on the settlement against City of Los Angeles here.
Read the Los Angeles Daily News story here.
Read the City News Service story here.
Read the KTLA story here.
Read the Business Wire here.