In Cyclist v. Property Owner (Marin Co. Sup. Ct.), our bicycle injury team obtained a $10,000,000 settlement for a 64-year-old businessman who suffered incomplete quadriplegia after striking an unmarked raised median while riding his bike out of an office complex where he was employed. Descending a steep unlit driveway at dusk, he did not see the concrete island before impact. The team alleged that the median lacked reflective markings, was not identified in original construction plans and served no traffic safety purpose. They also worked with experts to demonstrate evidence of repeated tire strikes proving notice. Defendants denied liability and sought to shift all blame to the plaintiff for cycling without a bike light.
