Details emerge from bicycle crash that left Shawn Bradley paralyzed
Shawn Bradley's bike may have collided with a passing car, causing him to hit the rear of a parked car and flip over, according to a police report.
www.usatoday.com
Well, it doesn't look like we are going to learn anything more significant about the Shawn Bradley bicycle accident, that left him a paraplegic.
But consider the tort situation. Bradley was riding his bike where he was legally entitled to ride, and a woman comes along and hits him, knocking him over a nearby parked car. The injuries will leave him permanently in a wheelchair, if all goes well.
Her "defense," at least initially was that she "gave him plenty of room." Tort lawyers know that this is no defense at all. She negligently hit him with her car which, like it or not, is a deadly weapon. To claim that she gave him a lot of room is less than irrelevant.
While Bradley is undoubtedly wealthy enough to work through this for the rest of his natural life, one suspects that he will sue the woman for damages for negligence, which would be an open&shut case. Damages will far exceed the limits on the woman's liability policy, but will he go after her personal assets, if any?
Bradley intends to use this incident to mount a campaign to encourage bicycle safety, and bicycle awareness on the part of drivers. As a bicyclist myself, I personally avoid such situations like the plague. I have a neurotic fear of a quick door opening from a parked car, leading to my equally quick demise.
Bikes are becoming more and more popular these days, as are electric bikes, which can travel at ludicrous speeds on paved roads. Let Bradley's tragedy be a lesson to all of us, drivers and bikers alike. The best lessons learned are learned at someone else's expense, eh?
