JUICY SUITS: Biker Sues After Alleged Right Hook

A Portland cyclist is suing a Subaru driver who allegedly turned right and collided with her bike on North Interstate Avenue.

Webly Bowles is a 27-year old green building consultant who's also a vegan and a blogger who reviews restaurants for a local website. She lives in North Portland with her husband and two dogs.

It doesn't get much more Portland than that. Unfortunately for Bowles, another seemingly ingrained part of our city is car-versus-bike collisions. Those collisions include the dreaded "right hook," when a car making a right turn hits a biker traveling alongside in the same direction.

And according to a lawsuit filed Sept. 15 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Bowles was the victim of a "right hook" two years ago when she was riding her bike northbound on Interstate.

Bowles' lawsuit says she was riding her 1997 Terry cycle using a designated bike lane when Cheri McConnell, also a Multnomah County resident, was driving alongside Bowles in a 1998 Subaru. McConnell made a right turn without signaling, hitting Bowles and causing injuries to her back, neck, torso, spine, left leg, left shoulder and head, the lawsuit says.

The suit, filed by Portland lawyer John McVea, seeks $50,000 for Bowles' past and future medical bills plus $100,000 for pain and suffering from the Sept. 21, 2007 collision.

McConnell could not be reached for comment.