The City of Los Angeles has made an out-of-court settlement for $3 million with a cyclist who suffered brain injuries when a car hit him on a designated cycle route - with misleading signage and the poor state of repairs reported to be factors involved.
The LA Times reports that the cyclist, Rabbi Shelaim Furst, was hit from behind by a car driven by Antoine Shehata in August 2010.
According to court papers, the incident happened on Victory Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley, a road on which there used to be a designated bike route.
By the time of the incident, the route was no longer designated as such, but the signs remained in situ.
The victim was reportedly thrown 27 feet into the air as the driver attempted to change lanes, it is claimed, and suffered memory loss as well as brain injuries.
His lawyer argued that the city council had allowed the road to become “dilapidated,” and that the incorrect signage showing the road to be a designated bike route lulled cyclists into a false sense of security.
The City Council reportedly approved the $3m settlement without debate following what, according to papers filed by the city attorney earlier this month, appears to have been a closed session.