Settlement:
$15 Million
Case Synopsis:
LAPD Motorcycle Sergeant Struck by City Vehicle
Our client, a Los Angeles Police Department Motorcycle Sergeant, was seriously injured after he was struck by a vehicle while working motor detail in Los Angeles. Plaintiff John Doe had pulled off the roadway to make a phone call and was sitting on his motorcycle in the driveway ofan entrance to USC, when Inglewood Mayor James Butts approached the location in his city-owned vehicle for a speaking engagement. While making a left turn, Mr. Butts collided with a speeding motorist, causing his vehicle to then careen into our client. The collision caused our client to fly off his motorcycle and into an adjacent fountain. Thankfully, he was wearing his helmet and incredibly had no major orthopedic injuries.
At the time of the collision, our client had several pending workers’ compensation cases from prior on-the-job injuries, and those preexisting injuries were aggravated by the collision. In addition, he sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, despite wearing his helmet.
The case posed several obvious hurdles including an influential city figure as a defendant and potential third-party fault by the speeding vehicle. In addition, the City claimed our client violated the vehicle and municipal code by bringing his vehicle to a rest where he did, that all of his injuries were pre-existing, and that, at most, he suffered sprains and strains and a mild traumatic brain injury that should have resolved within 90 days. Despite all of these arguments, after two mediations, the case settled shortly before trial for $15,000,000.
Plaintiff was represented in the matter by Rahul Ravipudi and Tom Schultz as well as by co-counsel, Alan B. Snitzer and Matt Bartholomew of the Law Offices of Alan B. Snitzer.