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San Francisco MUNI/Railway Verdicts & Settlements

Compensation for People Injured in Bay Area MUNI Accidents

The personal injury lawyers at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger have a distinguished record of results for victims of train, light rail and other types of MUNI accidents in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injured people and grieving families.

If you were hurt as a passenger in a MUNI vehicle or after being struck by a MUNI vehicle, contact the Bay Area MUNI railway crash lawyers at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger or call 1-(415) 981-7210 or (415) 981-7210.

$3.25 Million Settlement — Pedestrian Struck by Streetcar

In Executive v. CCSF Municipal Railway, our MUNI accident attorneys achieved a $3.25 million settlement for a pedestrian who was hit by a streetcar operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Our client sustained a significant brain injury requiring extensive physical and cognitive rehabilitation. The San Francisco Police Department placed all the blame for the accident on our injured client for allegedly stepping in front of a moving MUNI F-Line train. Our team uncovered evidence indicating that the streetcar’s operator entered the crosswalk against a burned-out red streetcar signal and at excessive speed. MUNI disputed all claims of negligence and dangerous conditions. The case was concluded while the City’s summary judgment motion based on governmental immunities was pending.

$2.85 Million Settlement – Pedestrian Struck by Bus

In Surviving Parents v. MUNI (San Francisco Sup. Ct.), our MUNI Bus team negotiated a wrongful death settlement of $2,850,000 on behalf of parents whose 23-year-old daughter was struck and killed by a MUNI bus as she walked through an intersection in the Castro district of San Francisco in a marked crosswalk. MUNI dispatch had called the driver to provide extra assistance for one of its streetcar lines. During discovery, our attorneys established that MUNI provided turn-by-turn directions for drivers headed to normally scheduled routes but did not provide the same for drivers “dead heading” to special assignments. As a result, the bus driver who struck the decedent was lost and attempted to make a left turn onto a street that was too narrow for bus traffic. The MUNI operator failed to appropriately scan the roadway for hazards and never saw the decedent, who was more than half was across the intersection when he ran her over. MUNI sought to limit introduction of evidence of its institutional negligence by moving for summary adjudication on plaintiffs’ theories of negligent training and supervision. Our attorneys defeated MUNI’s motion, prompting a second mediation and the settlement.

$2 Million Settlement — Pedestrian Struck by Light Rail Vehicle

Our client, a 16-year-old girl, was crossing the street on a green light near Stonestown on 19th Avenue as a southbound LRV “M-Line” train approached the intersection. She was struck by the light rail train and suffered amputation of her left leg below the knee. MUNI claimed that the child was partially at fault for failing to see and appreciate the oncoming train. Our lawyers demonstrated that the timing of the various signal lights governing the train and the pedestrian walkway gave both parties the green light at the same time. The case was resolved after two mediation sessions. We obtained a cash and annuity settlement in the amount of $2 million.

Brain Damage – Bus vs. Pedestrian (GOVERNMENT LIABILITY)

Our MUNI Railway team negotiated a settlement having a present cash value of $1,950,000 on behalf of an 81-year old San Francisco woman struck by a MUNI bus while crossing the street. The plaintiff had previously been diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease. The impact of the collision knocked her to the ground, where she sustained a left parietal skull fracture, a subarachnoid hemorrhage and a subdural hematoma. Following emergent care at San Francisco General Hospital, she was transferred to Kaiser, where she received intensive therapy. She was unable to regain a steady gate and suffered two falls during her recovery and convalescence. Six months after the collision, she was discharged to a skilled nursing facility. The City focused on plaintiff’s pre-accident diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and claimed that in light of her ailment a substantial amount of her medical and nursing care would have been required in the absence of the collision. The settlement was structured in a manner to allow plaintiff to maintain her public benefits, and comply with Medicare’s statutory set-aside requirements.

$750,000 Settlement – MUNI Bus Strikes Car

In Surviving Family v. MUNI (San Francisco Sup. Ct.), our MUNI attorneys negotiated a $750,000 settlement on behalf of the surviving husband and adult children of a 76-year-old woman who died after being rear ended by a MUNI bus. The decedent and her husband had traveled to San Francisco from the Peninsula to attend a medical appointment. They arrived early and decided to grab food from a restaurant on Stanyan Street in the Upper Haight. Her husband slowed to allow a pedestrian to cross in front of their vehicle as they entered the restaurant’s parking lot. Rather than stop and wait for the vehicle to complete its turn, the MUNI bus driver maintained a speed of 20 mph while attempting a thread-the-needle passing maneuver. He miscalculated the turn and struck the back of the SUV. The decedent struck her head on the vehicle’s interior. She initially felt okay but her condition quickly deteriorated. Her husband rushed her to the hospital where imaging studies revealed a large brain hemorrhage. She passed away the following day.

If you were injured because of the negligence of a train or light rail operator, you have a right to seek financial compensation. Contact the San Francisco MUNI accident attorneys at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger for a free consultation.

Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger
Train and Light Rail Accident Attorneys
San Francisco, California