$15,000 Jury Verdict for Bicycle Sideswipe by Car, Injuring Bike Rider

On Nov. 9, 2012, Hawree Amin was riding a bicycle eastbound on Winnemac Avenue in the city of Chicago, traveling through the intersection at Clark Street. The defendant, Karl Fujihara, driving eastbound in his car came alongside a car on the left. Amin maintained that Fujihara suddenly veered to the right to avoid a protruding manhole cover and hit Amin’s left shoulder with his car’s right side-view mirror and caused Amin to fall off his bike. He landed on his right knee.

Amin, 26, is an auto mechanic. He sustained blunt trauma contusions and ligament injuries to his left shoulder and right knee. He also suffered a sprained right ankle, low back strain and neck pain.

The defendant Fujihara argued that Amin, who is blind in one eye, rode his bike into the side of Fujihara’s car, denied that he veered to avoid any manhole cover, denied that Amin ever fell to the ground and disputed the extent of his claimed injuries.

Amin’s primary language is Kurdish. and he required a translator at trial. His right eye had been blinded by an IED explosion in Iraq.

The jury’s verdict in favor of Amin totaled $15,372 after being reduced by 45% for his contributory negligence. The jury was asked a few special interrogatory questions. One was, on Nov. 9, 2012, was the plaintiff, Hawree Amin, contributory negligent? Answer: Yes. Was the plaintiff Hawree Amin’s contributory negligence a proximate cause of his injuries? Answer: Yes. Was the plaintiff Hawree Amin’s contributory negligence greater than 50% of the cause of his injuries? Answer: No.

The jury’s verdict of $15,372 was made up of the following damages:

• $5,472 for medical expenses;
• $5,500 for loss of normal life; and
• $4,400 for pain and suffering.

The attorney representing Hawree Amin was Jeremy D. Lee. The only offer made to settle by the defendant was $4,885. The jury was asked to return a verdict of $27,950. They did return that verdict exactly, but they reduced it by 45% resulting in this total.

Hawree Amin v. Karl Fujihara, No. 13 L 8153 (Cook County, Ill.).

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling automobile accidents, bicycle accidents and truck accident cases for individuals and families who have been harmed, injured or died as a result of the carelessness or negligence of another for more than 38 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas, including Chicago (Bridgeport, Canaryville, Bronzeville, Oakland, Kenwood, Hyde Park, Jackson Park, Calumet Heights, East Side, Lake Calumet, Hegewisch, Riverdale), Blue Island, Robbins, Chicago Ridge, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Crestwood, Bedford Park, Stickney, Bolingbrook and Oak Park, Ill.