A Van Nuys Superior Court jury has...

A Van Nuys Superior Court jury has awarded $2.3 million to a former Van Nuys woman who suffered serious head injuries in a spill at the start of a 1982 pre-Olympic trials bicycle race in Malibu.

Barbara Buchan, 31, who now lives in Leucadia, was awarded the money for a 1985 lawsuit against the United States Cycling Federation. Buchan’s suit accused the federation of negligence in allowing an inexperienced cyclist who caused the crash to participate in the race.

The suit also contended that the federation failed to require riders to wear adequate head protection.