LA HABRA : City Chooses to Settle 2 Injury Claims for a Total of $21,250

Two personal injury claims against the city have been settled for a combined $21,250.

Laura Maria Lopez, who said she suffered multiple injuries when she was thrown off her bicycle while riding on broken asphalt on Walnut Street, this month agreed to settle for $15,000. Lopez broke her collarbone when she fell off her bike in 1992, city officials said.

Charles Printzen, who was struck in 1991 by a police car as he sat on a motorcycle on a dark street, last month settled for $6,250. Printzen, who was a passenger on the motorcycle, had originally sought $1 million in damages.

City officials said the motorcycle was being pursued for speeding. When the motorcyclist turned onto a dead-end street, the driver turned the lights off and the police cruiser struck the cycle, knocking Printzen over the handlebars, said Carlene Cook, city personnel director and risk manager.

City Manager Lee Risner said City Council members decided to settle the Lopez and Printzen cases because “going to court would have cost more.”

“Sometimes it’s cheaper to settle than to go to court,” he said. “We’re not adverse to settling when we think the court costs will be more than the actual damages.”