Passen & Powell and our client, a 39-year-old woman, are thrilled to report a $3 million settlement against a premises owner and operator of a Basic Motorcycle Training Class for devastating leg injuries she suffered when she fell off her motorcycle while riding during the class.
This case was featured on the front page of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin: Women settles sue over crash for $3M Women settles suit over crash for $3M
When this case was referred to Passen & Powell by another lawyer, there were serious questions as to liability for what occured — as the defendants suggested that our client was riding too fast and mistakenly locked her front wheel due to a “hard brake”, causing her to lose control, fall, and suffer multiple leg fractures. Upon further investigation, however, we were able to establish that our client feel because she was instructed by the defendants to ride over an area of the course that was in disrepair (a tarry patch with loose gravel on top). We obtained statements from other students in the class who established that our client was riding at a reasonable speed and as instructed when she lost balance and fell while riding over this patch of tar and loose gravel. Passen & Powell was able to overcome a number of “immunity” defenses granted to public entities in similar contexts, and was able to conveay through “Day in the Life” video and other demonstrative evidence just how devastating these leg injuries were to our client, a former CTA bus driver.
