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Verdicts and Settlements

$1.2 Million Settlement - Motorcycle Injury

Contra Costa Times

WALNUT CREEK- A 24- year-old Walnut Creek motorcyclist, whose foot was severed when he crashed into a van that had run a red light, will receive almost $1.2 million, his lawyer said Thursday.

The out-of-court settlement stems from an accident on July 20, 1984, when Michael Barr collided with a flower shop delivery van at the intersection of Ygnacio Valley Road and La Casa Via, said Berkeley attorney Luke Ellis.

Several of Barr's bones were broken and his foot was "literally ripped from the leg" and later reattached by a team of surgeons at John Muir Memorial Hospital.

The van's driver was cited by police for not stopping at a red light.

Under the terms of the settlement, the insurance company for Hogan & Evers Flowers agreed to pay Barr $225,000 immediately, and $2,000 a month over Barr's lifetime, Ellis said. Periodically, Barr will also receive larger lump sums.

Part of the money will go to pay for Barr's medical bills, which amount to $56,000, the attorney said.

Although Barr's surgeons were able to save his foot through seven operations, said Ellis, the former insulation worker has been unable to go back to work.