Record-Setting Oakland Bike Settlement: City to Pay $7 Million to Bicyclist for Dangerous Road Conditions

Largest dangerous condition of public property settlement against Oakland; follows California Supreme Court ruling in Whitehead v. City of Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif., Sept. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Oakland has agreed to pay $7 million to bicyclist Ty Whitehead, who suffered catastrophic injuries after striking a dangerous pothole on Skyline Boulevard during an AIDS/LifeCycle charity training ride. This settlement is the largest dangerous condition of public property settlement in Oakland's history, underscoring the City's accountability for unsafe streets.

Whitehead, a San Francisco cyclist, was riding in March 2017 when he hit a road hazard reported to the City but left unrepaired. The crash caused a traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma for weeks and with permanent disabilities.

Attorneys Anthony Label and Steven Kronenberg of The Veen Firm, LLP pursued the case for years, winning a unanimous 7-0 ruling from the California Supreme Court in May 2025. That decision reinstated Whitehead's lawsuit and established that cities cannot escape liability for unsafe public roads through liability waivers signed by cyclists.

"This case was never just about me," said Ty Whitehead. "It was about making sure no one else has to suffer the way I did because a city ignores dangerous roads."

Anthony Label, Managing Partner at The Veen Firm, stated: "The Court made clear you cannot sign away your right to safe roads. This record-setting settlement provides justice for Ty and sends a message across California: safe streets are not optional."

Steven Kronenberg, trial attorney at The Veen Firm, added: "Oakland fought for years instead of fixing its roads. This outcome shows that ignoring known hazards carries real consequences."

For comparison, The Veen Firm also held Oakland's prior record in Bruno VanSchoote v. City of Oakland (2023), where the City paid $6.5 million after a bicyclist was injured by misaligned pavement on MacArthur Boulevard.

About The Veen Firm, LLP
The Veen Firm, LLP, based in San Francisco, represents plaintiffs in serious injury and wrongful death cases throughout California. The firm has secured precedent-setting victories in lawsuits involving dangerous road conditions, catastrophic injury, and public safety law.

Media Contact
Anthony Label
The Veen Firm, LLP
888-504-0157
[email protected]

SOURCE The Veen Firm