$250K Settlement to Motorcyclist Hurt In Crash with Fire Truck

A 26-year-old California motorcyclist is receiving a $250,000 settlement from the City of Palo Alto, Calif., after she was seriously injured in June 2015 when she crashed as she tried to avoid a fire truck that was stopped in the middle of a roadway.

Alexis Ferreira was riding her motorcycle at 10:45 a.m. on June 29, 2015, when she rounded a curve on Skyline Boulevard in Palo Alto and found the road completely blocked by a fire truck which did not have its emergency lights in operation, according to a June 12 story by PaloAltoOnline.

Another motorcyclist in front of her on the road quickly braked to avoid a crash with the truck and as it did, Ferreira spotted the fire truck blocking the northbound and southbound lanes of the road and lost control of her Yamaha R-6 motorcycle as she tried to stop abruptly. She fell from the motorcycle and suffered a myriad of injuries, including an open femur fracture, hand fractures, a separated collarbone, a coccyx fracture and extensive road rash and contusions, the story reported.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court in August 2015, sought at least $225,000 in damages. The suit alleged that fire officials had stopped the truck in the roadway without placing any warning cones or other traffic indicators to let oncoming traffic know about the presence of the parked fire truck. The city, which originally rejected her claim for damages, did not admit to any wrongdoing in the case.

Photo credit: iStockphoto.com/tillsonburg

Ferreira’s lawsuit sought compensation for medical costs, loss of wages and earning capacity, as well as damages for past and future pain and suffering, disability and disfigurement. Her father, David Ferreira, who owned the motorcycle she was riding that day and who was riding another motorcycle behind her, sought damages for serious emotional distress because he witnessed the crash. He also sought compensation for the motorcycle, which was destroyed in the crash.

These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.

We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle accident or incident anywhere in the United States.

We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.

Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.

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