Case Background
Leah Hickey filed a lawsuit against Rebecca Harrington in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, on May 5, 2023. The case was assigned case number CGC-23-606326 and was filed as an unlimited civil jurisdiction matter with a demand for jury trial. Hickey brought a single cause of action for negligence, arising out of a bicycle versus motor vehicle collision that occurred on June 30, 2021, at or near 2355 Post Street in San Francisco. Harrington filed her answer to the complaint on January 12, 2024, denying liability and raising several affirmative defenses. The matter proceeded to a jury trial, and the jury returned its verdict on December 8, 2025.
Cause
According to the complaint, Hickey was riding her bicycle eastbound on Post Street, while Harrington was driving her vehicle westbound on the same street. Both were approaching a public parking lot located on the south side of the road from opposite directions. As Hickey continued straight past the parking lot, Harrington suddenly began a left turn into the lot, cutting directly across Hickey's path. Hickey attempted to stop but could not avoid the collision and struck Harrington's vehicle with her bicycle, causing her to fall to the ground. The complaint alleged that Harrington did not check whether the roadway was clear before turning, did not use a turn signal, and did not yield the right of way, and that this conduct violated several provisions of the California Vehicle Code.
Injury
Hickey alleged that the collision caused her serious bodily injuries along with shock and harm to her nervous system. She stated that these injuries resulted in ongoing physical, mental, and nervous pain and suffering, and that they may lead to permanent physical and mental disability. The complaint also stated that Hickey was prevented from carrying out her usual daily activities as a result of her injuries. In addition, her bicycle and other personal property were damaged in the crash, leaving her without use of that property while it was repaired or replaced.
Damages Sought
The complaint asked for general damages, special damages for medical and related expenses, compensation for property damage and loss of use, pre-judgment interest where appropriate, and costs of suit, with all amounts to be proven at trial.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Leah Hickey
· Counsel for Plaintiff: Michael Stephenson | Theodore Chase
Defendant: Rebecca Harrington
· Counsel for Defendant: Nolan S. Armstrong | Mona L. Bauer
Claims
Hickey's complaint argued that Harrington operated her vehicle in a dangerous manner, failed to keep a proper lookout, and broke traffic laws, and that this conduct directly caused the collision and her resulting injuries. The complaint also argued that Harrington's actions amounted to negligence per se. It claimed that Harrington's alleged Vehicle Code violations fell within the type of harm those laws were designed to prevent, and that Hickey belonged to the class of people the laws were meant to protect, so the violations were a legal and proximate cause of her injuries.
Defense
In her answer, Harrington denied every allegation in the complaint and disputed that Hickey suffered any injury or damage due to her negligence. She raised several affirmative defenses. She argued that the complaint did not state facts sufficient to support a claim against her. She also argued that other parties or unnamed individuals had been careless and contributed to the incident, so any damages awarded should be reduced based on their share of fault. She further claimed that Hickey herself acted carelessly and negligently, contributing to her own injuries, and that under comparative negligence principles this should bar or reduce her recovery. Harrington also argued that Hickey failed to mitigate her damages, which increased the losses now being claimed, and that the complaint was barred by various statute of limitations provisions of the California Code of Civil Procedure.
Jury Verdict
The jury returned its verdict on December 8, 2025. It found that Harrington had been negligent and that her negligence was a substantial factor in causing harm to Hickey.
The jury then calculated Hickey's damages across four categories. For past economic losses, it awarded $871,224 in past wage loss. For future economic losses, it awarded $3,581,245 in future loss of earnings. For past noneconomic loss, covering physical pain, mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, physical impairment, grief, and anxiety, it awarded $1,168,000. For future noneconomic loss in the same categories, it awarded $6,482,400. Together, these amounts brought Hickey's total damages to $12,102,869.
The jury also found that Hickey had been negligent and that her negligence was a substantial factor in causing her own harm. When dividing responsibility for the accident, the jury assigned 70 percent of the fault to Harrington and 30 percent to Hickey, together adding up to 100 percent. The presiding juror signed and dated the verdict form on December 8.
Court documents are available upon request at [email protected]
