The Dolan Law Firm is pleased to announce a recent $ 5,000,000.00 settlement on behalf of a young woman and her husband whose lives were forever changed by the reflex sympathetic dystrophy that the woman developed after her Vespa scooter crashed on dangerous railroad tracks on a city street.
Some of the dangerous railroad tracks were removed from Blanding Avenue in the City of Alameda during the construction of a shopping center. To save money however, other dangerous tracks the tracks along the remaining section of the street were not removed.
Our client was driving to work on her Vespa Scooter at the time of her injury. She was riding on fresh blacktop pavement that, unbeknownst to her, suddenly ended at the dilapidated railroad tracks. Her wheels became caught on the rails, causing her to be unable to stop and resulting in a crash.
Unfortunately, her seemingly moderate injuries developed into a disabling condition known as “reflex sympathetic dystrophy” (“RSD”) or “complex regional pain syndrome.” The happy life she and her husband had been living was changed dramatically.
The Dolan Law Firm and the firm of Emison Hullverson Mitchell LLP joined forces to take on a large real estate developer, a large construction company, and the City of Alameda on behalf of our client. The Dolan Law Firm successfully challenged the defendants’ claims that the client should have seen the dilapidated rails.
Investigations and a team of experts assembled by the Dolan Law Firm showed that removing a portion of the rails while leaving the rails in the roadway was dangerous for people on bicycles, motorcycles, and scooters.
The litigation was hard fought and involved a lot of discovery, depositions, and motion work. Just before trial the parties agreed to resolve the client’s claims for $ 5,000,000.00. Having received little relief from her treatments to date, the client can now afford to undergo some of the experimental RSD treatments that are not covered by insurance. The Dolan Law Firm is proud of what it is able to accomplish for these very deserving clients.
Dolan Law Firm Trial Team:
- Christopher B. Dolan
- Quinton B. Cutlip
Emison Hullverson Mitchell LLP Trial Team:
- Theo Emison
- Loren Schwartz
