When it comes to traveling on the freeways of Southern California, motorcyclists tend to be all-too-aware of the fact that they are more exposed to danger than other drivers. Motorcyclists and their passengers are more exposed to the elements and road hazards and in the case of an accident, run a much higher risk of suffering a serious injury or death.
ABC 7 in Los Angeles reports that a jury has awarded a motorcyclist more than $21.5 million after he was struck by another vehicle and thrown from his motorcycle on the 405 Freeway near Westminster Boulevard in February of 2018.
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Attorneys for the plaintiff in the case, Matthew Rada, said in a statement that Rada had suffered “catastrophic” injuries when a Kia Optima that had been in the carpool lane, suddenly changed lanes without signaling, hitting Rada’s motorcycle, and sending him into the side of a flatbed truck before he and his motorcycle landed on the pavement.
Video footage of the incident was captured by a GoPro camera that was mounted on the helmet of a fellow motorcyclist who was riding behind Rada at the time of the crash.
Both the fellow motorcyclist and the driver of the Kia pulled over immediately following the crash and remained at the scene.
Rada suffered several broken bones and other injuries that required a two-week hospital stay and multiple surgeries at University of California Irvine Medical Center.
Court records filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court show that the driver of the Kia was an employee of a nearby auto dealership in Irvine. Both the driver and his employer were named as defendants in the lawsuit.
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