Judge Declares Mistrial in Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit

In a lawsuit filed by the victim of a motorcycle accident, the judge declared a mistrial due to issues relating to the selection of jury members. No new date for retrial has been set in the case and the Presiding Superior Court Judge Kevin Brazile has stated that jurors will not be summoned for at least another 30 days.

The case in question relates to an accident that involved a motorcycle and a car. The crash took place back in 2015. Frank Ross Samuels, 70, was riding a motorcycle with Rosana Levine, 59, riding as a passenger. The duo was riding the motorcycle while traveling northbound on the Malibu Canyon Road.

Tia Jeri Hoberman, 50, was traveling on the Harbor Vista Drive on her SUV when she took a left turn onto the Malibu Canyon Road. It was then that her vehicle collided with the motorcycle, causing injuries to both Samuels and Levine. Both injured parties brought a lawsuit against Hoberman for alleged negligence and failure to yield the right-of-way which caused the crash.

In her defense, Hoberman maintains that the road elements and design caused the accident, impairing her vision so that she didn’t see the motorcycle before she collided with it. Samuels was able to reach an agreement with Hoberman. However, Levine continues to fight her own lawsuit against Hoberman.

In addition to naming Hoberman as the defendant, Levine has also named the city of Malibu and the South California Edison as defendants. Edison is named as the defendant because, the lawsuit alleges, an improperly positioned pole obstructed Hoberman’s vision and contributed to the crash. The city is being sued for a poorly designed and unsafe intersection.

Levine’s case saw a mistrial over jury issues back in February and this is the second jury-based mistrial. It remains to be seen if Levine will finally be able to have her case begin in the court at the next hearing.

Our motorcycle crash lawyers are here to help if you or a loved one have been harmed in an accident.

Source: https://mynewsla.com/hollywood/2020/03/16/mistrial-declared-in-injury-suit-against-motorist-edison-city-of-malibu-2/