$950,000 Settlement Recovered for 19-Year-Old Seriously Injured in DISPUTED LIABILITY CASE IN Los Angeles Pocket Bike Collision

Disputed Liability Case Results in Significant Recovery After Catastrophic Injuries

The Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates secured a $950,000 settlement for a 19-year-old client who suffered serious orthopedic injuries after a rideshare vehicle turned left into his path at the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Hoover Street in Los Angeles.

This was a matter of shared liability. Although the Defendant failed to yield to our client who was appraching in the opposite direction, officers found our client to be the primary party liable for operating a non-street legal pocket bike at an unsafe speed for road conditions. The defense aggressively argued that they carried no responsibility as their experts opined that the pocket bike was to low to the ground and caused our client to not be visible to the defendant, making liability one of the primary obstacles to obtaining full compensation. Despite seroius challenges to proving liabilty and the financial risks involved, we took this case on and obtained our client justice.

Serious Injuries Changed a Young Man’s Future

The violent collision launched our client from his pocket bike and onto the pavement, leaving him with devastating injuries including:

• Skull fracture
• Open comminuted fracture of the right tibia requiring emergency surgery
• Multiple fractures involving both legs, his shoulder blade, and ribs

He spent days in intensive care before beginning a lengthy recovery that included multiple surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and years of ongoing treatment. Even after returning to work, he continued to experience chronic pain and physical limitations that ultimately required reconstructive knee surgery nearly two years after the collision. His orthopedic surgeon concluded he will likely require a knee replacement because of the permanent damage caused by the crash.

A Challenging Liability Case Required Strategic Litigation

Unlike many intersection collisions, liability was heavily contested.

The defense argued our client’s operation of an illegal pocket bike significantly contributed to the incident and attempted to reduce or eliminate their responsibility for his injuries. The defense came out swinging that they were 0% liable for this collision. At the same time, the legal team pursued claims against multiple defendants, including the driver, the vehicle owner, and separate corporate rideshare entities, each represented by different defense counsel.

Attorney Samer Habbas focused on proving that the driver’s failure to yield remained the primary cause of the collision while simultaneously developing compelling evidence of our client’s catastrophic injuries, future medical needs, permanent impairment, lost wages, and diminished quality of life.

By shifting the focus from disputed liability to the lifelong consequences of the collision, the firm was able to maximize the value of a case many would have viewed as difficult because of comparative negligence issues.

$950,000 Settlement Achieved

Despite significant liability disputes and multiple defendants, Attorney Samer Habbas successfully secured a $950,000 settlement on behalf of the injured client.

The result reflects the firm’s ability to obtain substantial recoveries even when liability is vigorously contested and insurance companies attempt to blame the injured victim.

Get Samer On Your Side®

Serious injury cases involving motorcycles, pocket bikes, scooters, and rideshare vehicles often involve complex liability issues and aggressive comparative fault defenses. Even if you believe you may have been partially at fault, you may still be entitled to significant compensation under California law.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in an accident, contact Samer Habbas & Associates for a free consultation.

Get Samer On Your Side®