Baltimore Cyclists Dies Weeks after Multi-Million Dollar Settlement

A twenty year old student, who was knocked from his bicycle by a negligent motorist in February this year, has died from his injuries just weeks after his family secured a multi-million dollar settlement to provide life-long care.

Nathan Krasnopoler from Baltimore, Maryland, was cycling in the University Parkway of Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, which he attended as a sophomore student, when he was in collision with a car driven by 83 year old Jeannette Marie Walke of Baltimore.

In May, Mrs Walke pleaded guilty to negligent driving and was fined $220.00 while Nathan lay in a coma at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Although the family were reported as being happy with the criminal case outcome – they did not want to see Mrs Walke jailed for her crime – they proceeded to claim $10 million in damages from her in a civil action, as their insurance policy provided inadequate coverage for Nathan´s care.

Although the case never went to court, and the amount of the final settlement has never been disclosed, it is understood that an amount approaching that initially claimed has been paid from both Mrs Walke´s personal assets and her car insurance company (many Maryland insurance policies have an upper liability limit of $30,000). Mrs Walke has also had to relinquish her driver´s licence as part of the settlement.v