The family of a cyclist fatally injured in Northern California after a city worker opened a car door into his path is close to securing a nearly $2 million settlement from San Francisco officials.
Steven Bassett, 70, was riding his bicycle through San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood in May 2024 when a municipal employee opened the door of a parked vehicle, striking him in what cycling safety advocates describe as a “dooring” crash.
Bassett died from his injuries 12 days after the collision.
In the aftermath, his sister, Lisa Baker, sued the city, arguing that the employee acted negligently and should have taken greater care to watch for cyclists traveling nearby.
In the complaint, attorney Spencer Pahike wrote that Bassett sustained fatal injuries as a direct legal consequence of the alleged negligence, carelessness and wrongful conduct, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which obtained the lawsuit.
The proposed settlement totals $1,975,000 and has been recommended by City Attorney David Chiu and Public Utilities Commission General Manager Dennis Herrera. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the agreement in the coming weeks.
Bassett’s death also drew a public response from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, where he had been an active member, with the group holding a vigil in his memory.
At the time, the coalition said the tragedy underscored the danger that car dooring poses to people riding on streets without protected bike infrastructure, and urged the city to require safety training for all municipal employees who drive city vehicles so they can better share the road with cyclists.
Aside from being an avid biker and big Giants fan, he was a big proponent of making biking easier for everyday transportation in the city.
