Recent Case Result: Cyclist v. Yellow Cab Company

A 19 year-old cyclist was riding home from work on Broadway in San Francisco when she was violently struck by a Yellow Cab Company driver who was making an illegal U-Turn without signaling.

Yellow Cab denied the claim and alleged that the cyclist caused the accident and was exaggerating her injuries and need for medical treatment (despite the fact that she was uninsured and was therefore paying for her medical treatment herself).  Yellow Cab and the driver denied that the driver had been making a U-turn, contended that he had signaled, and attempted to blame the accident on the fact that the cyclist did not have the required lighting on her bicycle.  The cyclist admitted that she did not have the required lighting but contended that the area of the collision was well lit and that she was clearly visible.

At trial, Bay Area Bicycle Law defeated Yellow Cab and the jury awarded the cyclist the full amount of her medical bills and lost wages ($34,478.71) in addition to $70,000 for her pain and suffering, for a total verdict of $104,478.71.  The jury found that although the cyclist did not have the required lighting on her bicycle,  that this was a small factor in the accident and ultimately decided that Yellow Cab was 80% at fault for the accident and that the cyclist was only 20% at fault.