Bicyclist struck by Automobile 1

Accident Overview

On July 23, 2015, on First Street at its intersection with Laurel Street in the city of Napa, county of Napa, in the State of California, our client was riding her bicycle in the eastbound direction of First Street. The Defendant was driving her 2002 Lexus LS430 in the westbound direction of the street and as she made a left turn onto southbound Laurel Street, she struck our client. Our client was obeying the rules of the road while riding her bicycle when another driver struck her, causing a serious automobile accident. The accident resulted in the loss of work, serious injuries, and large medical bills, leaving our client in a state of uncertainty.

About the Accident

This was a motor vehicle versus bicycle accident that resulted in serious injuries for our client due to the other driver’s negligence. There were no adverse road conditions and the accident happened when the Lexus driver made an unsafe left turn directly into our client’s bicycle.

Our client was taken via American Medical Response ambulance to Queen of the Valley Hospital with severe pain in her left ankle, right thumb, both knees, and right toes. She also had a quarter-inch laceration near the outside corner of her left eye as well as swelling and bruising in her left cheek.

The driver of the car that caused the accident was insured by Amco Insurance. Our client needed ongoing treatment after the accident including physical therapy at both Kaiser Napa and Kaiser Vallejo as well as acupuncture.

Case Facts

Our client missed a significant amount of work and was charged large medical bills from this accident. Based on this information she reached out to GJEL Accident Attorneys to see if she was entitled to compensation and to have her questions answered. She wanted to know:

  1. Who is responsible for my medical bills?
  2. How will I pay these bills and the loss of work?
  3. What if I have permanent lifelong damage to my body?

The staff at GJEL were able to quickly evaluate the case over the phone and meet with her to get a more complete picture of the situation.  

Based on the serious injuries from this accident and the mounting medical bills, our client decided to retain GJEL Accident Attorneys to help get her life back on track after this tragic accident.

The staff at GJEL started a full investigation which started with getting the police report from the Napa Police Department. The police report showed that the other driver was 100% at fault and responsible for the accident.

At first, the client’s insurance company, Amco, was taking the position that our client was partially responsible for this accident. As the firm continued to collect evidence, they realized this was a case that required a lawsuit. GJEL Accident Attorneys filed a lawsuit and began an intensive investigation period. Attorney Jim Larsen helped our client through this difficult time. This case took approximately nine months to settle without having to go to trial. In the end, our client was awarded $125,000.00 for this accident by Amco Insurance company after aggressive representation.

Insurance Company Names:    Amco Insurance
Police Report  Napa Police Department
Vehicle Types  2002 Lexus LS430
Accident Locations:1st Street at Laurel Street, Napa, CA
Hospitals and Medical Centers Visited AMR, Queen of Valley, Kaiser Napa, Kaiser Vallejo, Pacific Medical Inc
Types of Injuries (Specific as possible) Left ankle pain, right thumb pain, both knees had pain, right toes sustained abrasions, ¼ inch laceration near the outside corner of the left eye, and left cheek swollen with bruising.

Author Photo

Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Andy is a highly recognized wrongful death lawyer in California.