Husband, wife sue ‘reckless’ bicyclist who caused crash

A woman who was seriously injured after she was struck by a bicyclist in Chicago filed a lawsuit against the rider Thursday.

Arely Lara and her husband Christopher Craig were near the intersection of Dearborn and Madison on March 30 when Lara was struck by a bicycle traveling south on Dearborn, according to a lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. Her husband was not hit.

Lara suffered injury to her nervous system and also suffered disfigurement, the suit said.

“She was seriously injured, hospitalized and required surgery,” said Eric Check, Lara’s attorney. “She also spent several weeks in a rehab facility.”

The cyclist, Matthew Gagui, was in a bicycle lane at the time of the crash, according to the suit.

The suit alleges Gagui failed to equip his bicycle with a brake, failed to operate his bicycle in the right-hand lane of the bike path and operated his bicycle in a reckless manner, among other things.

The two count suit claims negligence and loss of consortium and seeks more than $60,000 plus the cost of the suit.