June is busting out all over! With lawsuits, we mean. Added to the total from a few weeks ago, we're up to $456,565.92 in Muni claims since February. Wow, that's a lot of money. Sure would've gone a long way toward hiring a few more drivers, or repairing a few more buses, or buying a few more NextMuni signs. Oh well.

Some of the cases are pretty standard -- personal injury, property damage, etc etc etc. (We winced upon reading of one plaintiff who was whacked in the face when they grabbed for a faulty grip-bar.) Those cases usually get settled for around $10,000. The juicy ones, though, can reach up around $60,000, as does the case of a pedestrian who was struck by a 49, and a Muni inspector who opened his car door into a bicyclist.

On the bright side, Muni will also be meeting with counsel to talk about their case against Five Star Parking/Elite Parking, in which the city could get about $4.6 million. A lucrative game, this lawyer business!