DISCLAIMER: The results are specific to the facts and legal circumstances of each of the clients’ cases and should not be used to form an expectation that the same results could be obtained for other clients in similar matters without reference to the specific factual and legal circumstances of each client’s case.
$3.1 Million Settlement Wrongful Death Semi-Truck Accident
On a sunny July morning in 2011 our client was driving her two daughters, a 9 year-old and an 18 month old, to day care before going to work. They left their home in the Highlands neighborhood of Bellevue, Washington and drove to the I-90 freeway. They got onto the I-90 at the 156th Street on-ramp. It was early and the morning rush hour traffic had backed up the exit lane to northbound I-405.
Traffic was stop and go with a back-up for a good quarter mile or more from the I-405 interchange. Unbeknownst to our client and her daughters two semi-trucks were coming up behind them quickly. One semi-truck was in the right lane and moved into the exit lane to northbound I-405. The truck was traveling 60 mph as it crested the hill in Eastgate on I-90 and started down towards I-405. The semi-truck failed to see traffic in the exit lane to northbound I-405 was virtually stopped a short distance ahead and the driver was never going to be able to stop in time.
A second semi-truck (a logging truck) was also approaching from behind but it had stayed in the right lane of I-90 intending to go southbound on I-405. The second semi driver saw the impending crash developing with the first semi which was a little bit ahead and in the exit lane to the right of him. The second semi-truck driver knew the other semi needed to take evasive action to avoid a collision but did nothing to help the other semi-truck. The second truck driver didn’t slow down, didn’t try to change lanes, didn’t speed up, he didn’t do anything to help avoid the impending horrific collision. So when the first semi-truck tried to avoid crashing into the long line of cars in front of it by changing lanes to the left, it hit the other semi-truck’s back wheels.
The force of impact between the two semi-trucks caused the back wheels of the logging semi to detach from the truck and fly down the freeway all by themselves. The first semi-truck then crashed into the long line of stopped traffic including our client’s car. 24 vehicles were involved in the collision aftermath.
While the first semi was hitting the cars in front of it, the detached wheels from the logging truck continued down the freeway. The wheels then collided with the back of our client’s car crushing the rear of the car and almost ripping off the roof. Our client’s 9 year-old daughter was in the back seat and suffered a fatal neck injury as a result.
Medical personal were able to revive our client’s 9 year-old daughter at the accident scene and take her to Harborview trauma center. However, her neck hand been broken and the injury proved fatal. Our client’s daughter passed away three days after the accident.
Washington State Patrol investigated the collision. After an investigation that took a full year the investigating office determined that the first semi-truck was solely responsible for the collision. We did not agree and hired our own Accident Reconstructionist to evaluate the crash scene. Our expert Accident Reconstructionist believed that the second semi-truck was also partially at fault. The second semi driver had seen the dangerous situation develop and as a professional driver should have done something to help lessen the chance of the collision, like change lanes or slow down.
Through the litigation process and some negotiation a $3.1 million settlement was able to be reached on behalf of the 9 year-old daughter and her family.
$800,000 jury verdict for left arm nerve injury
In October 2014, a ten-ton truck owned by a trucking company rear-ended our client with enough force to push her vehicle uphill into the vehicle in front of her, resulting in a three-car collision. The truck driver was cited for speeding at the scene and had admitted that he was on his cell phone just before the collision occurred.
At the time of the collision, our client’s left arm was outstretched on the steering wheel. The impact of the crash put a great deal of force on her arm and shoulder, causing immediate and intense pain on a scale she had “never experienced before” in her left shoulder, neck and back. She was transported to the hospital by ambulance from the scene of the accident.
Her pain continued after the crash. She began physical therapy while under the supervision of her PCP. The goal of physical therapy was to (1) be able to sleep through the night, (2) lift without pain, (3) be able to drive as long as necessary without pain, and (4) be able to perform her job functions. She was discharged from physical therapy for surgery in February of 2015, without having reached these goals.
The swelling and pain in our client’s left shoulder continued to get worse and her range of motion was decreasing. In the months following the collision, she had near constant discomfort, barely slept, and even the modified duties at her position as a medical assistant were becoming difficult to manage. Her doctors advised she have an MRI, which revealed a type 2 slap tear, as well as probable bicipital tendinosis in her left shoulder. Her doctor’s advice was to have surgery to repair this tear, so she followed her doctor’s recommendation and had the surgery completed in March of 2015.
Upon wakening from surgery, our client had no feeling or ability to use her left hand below her elbow. There were no complications during the surgery, but in addition to her left arm paralysis, she began experiencing abdominal pain and shortness of breath. She returned to the hospital a week later where she advised of her emergent issues and advised the ER that she had paralysis in her left arm since the surgery. She was discharged the next day with a diagnosis of right side pulmonary embolism, likely secondary to surgery. Pain medication was prescribed at discharge, but just half an hour after returning home she began having severe right-sided chest pain, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood. She went back to the ER the same day, but this time was admitted and not discharged until five days later.
Our client had her first post-surgery follow-up appointment the day after being discharged from the hospital for the pulmonary embolism. At this visit, doctors noted a lack of sensation or feeling in our client’s left hand. At first our client thought this loss of sensation was a temporary side-effect of surgery, but she became quickly alarmed at a total lack of improvement in her left arm. Several doctors reviewed her file and performed numerous tests on her left arm to determine why it was not improving. The results of the tests were a broad consensus that surgery was performed competently and that our client’s symptoms came about from a combination of the collision and/or subsequent treatment needed from that collision.
Her condition continued to get worse through summer of 2015. In May, she developed a painful rash around the surgical incision, which grew into a staph infection and a case of shingles, which she described as feeling like it was “ripping apart her armpit.” In addition to the pain and paralysis in her left arm, she complained of symptoms including shortness of breath, joint pain, fatigue, depression, weight gain, anxiety and heartburn. She also began to develop gastrointestinal problems, including pain and constipation, as a result of treatments and pain medication. By June of 2015, our client, then a 28-year-old who had been in full health just a year prior complained of: Pleurisy, asthma, pulmonary embolism, paralysis of left arm, anxiety, depression, shingles, staph infection, dry mouth, lower back pain, trouble sleeping, loss of energy, and difficulty urinating.
She was referred to a sleep disorder clinic to address her lack of sleep due to anxiety and depression and continued treatment for several months. She also returned to physical therapy in July of 2015. The short-term side effects of her treatment finally faded, but the long-term impact of her injuries became clear. Multiple consulting physicians determined she had left arm brachial plexopathy, meaning permanent disability. This disability includes lack of sensation and complete palsy below her left elbow.
In July of 2016, our client once again required surgery for complex right carpal tunnel syndrome in her right hand extending from over use due to the inability to use her left arm. While the surgery was successful, our client will spend the rest of her life facing the dilemma of trying to compensate with her right hand due to lack of ability to use her left arm.
By the time our client’s treatment was finished she had over $80,000 in medical bills.
At the time of the accident, our client was working as a medical assistant while completing her nursing school prerequisites and had planned to become a RN. With her disability, she has limited physical capacity, making it nearly impossible for her to pursue her dream career as a RN as well as many other employment opportunities. She also lost her job as a medical assistant due to her left arm nerve injury. She lost over $100,000 in wages before trial.
The insurance company for the large company that caused the collision never made a settlement offer. They preferred to deploy delay tactics for as long as possible in hopes our client would become so financially strapped she’d get desperate to settlement of anything. Not on our watch! We filed a lawsuit to seek justice and fair compensation for our client.
Throughout the litigation process the insurance company never made a settlement offer. It wasn’t until the trial had begun that they finally made a low ball offer that was never seriously considered. Our client wanted her day in court and the justice she deserved.
After successful litigation, our client took her case to trial and received a jury verdict of $800,000. After receiving the verdict money, our client was able to pay off her bills and get herself set-up in a new career.
$600,000 Settlement for working ambulance paramedic
Client was a paramedic working on a patient in the back of her ambulance on their way to hospital when the ambulance was hit by a car that crossed the center line from the opposite direction. The car hit the side of the ambulance in the area where client was sitting with her back to the side of the ambulance.
As a result of the collision client suffered serious injuries to her low back and hip. The hip eventually required surgically repaired. Her medical expenses were approximately $100,000 including hip surgery. Client treatment lasted over three years and she was not able to work as a paramedic during her treatment.
Unfortunately, the at-fault driver did not have any insurance. Luckily, her employer had adequate Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage on its business auto insurance policy, which was able to step in for the at-fault driver and provide insurance coverage to compensate her for all her injuries and missed work. As a result of the large medical expense and lost wages the an out of court settlement was reached.
$400,000 settlement for wrongful death of motorcyclist hit by truck
Our client was a recently retired Boeing engineer. He had a passion for motorcycles. On a sunny July afternoon, he was headed to downtown Bellevue, Washington for a dentist appointment. He was riding on I-405 and exiting at the NE 8th Street exit. As he entered the exit ramp, a large box truck suddenly decided to exit 405. The box truck swerved over the gore point and side swiped our client on his motorcycle. Our client crashed at nearly 60 mph.
Our client suffered fatal head and neck injuries as a result of the wreck and died at the scene of the crash. His widow was left to deal with the aftermath of her husband’s death.
The last thing a family wants to deal with is an insurance company adjuster for a vehicle that just killed a family member. That’s why our client’s widow hired us to help deal with the insurance so they could grieve in peace.
The family did not want to see the motorcycle again. We were able to handle the property damage claim for the family, which included collecting his personal items from the motorcycle so they did not have to do so.
We were able to get the truck’s insurance to pay all of the policy limits it had. We also were able to get our client’s motorcycle insurance company to pay all of the underinsured motorist (UIM) policy limits as well. No amount of insurance money can make up for the loss of a loved one. However, it can ease the financial burden a family faces following the unexpected loss of a spouse.
We were able to obtain full policy limits from the at fault driver’s liability insurance and our client’s UIM insurance of just over $400,000.
$300,000 Policy Limits Settlement – Husband and Wife motorcycle crash
Our husband and wife clients were out on a group motorcycle ride on highway 8 heading towards Ocean Shores, WA. One of the riders in front of them went down, causing a chain reaction which took out our clients’ bike. Both clients were riding on the same bike when the accident happened.
As a result of the crash, one of our clients suffered from a collar bone fracture, a left shoulder blade fracture, two spine vertebrae fractures, spinal fusion surgery in lower back, rib fractures and a punctured lung. The other client suffered from a traumatic brain injury, a collar bone fracture, a nerve injury in lower back causing numbness in legs and feet, rib fractures and a punctured lung. The total medical bills for both clients came to a little over $517,000.
Unfortunately, the motorcycle that caused the accident did not have any insurance!! This is a nightmare situation given the astronomical amount of the medical bills. Fortunately, our clients had purchase Uninsured Motorist coverage on their motorcycle. They also had good health insurance to cover much of the medical expenses.
We were able to obtain a full policy limits settlement under their Uninsured Motorist in the amount of $300,000.
However, in situations like this, had our clients’ not hired an attorney the health insurance companies likely would have tried to take all of the settlement funds to repay the medical bills paid by the health insurance. In Washington, insurance companies often are not allowed to do this when the settlement funds are not enough to cover the medical bills, let alone wage loss and pain and suffering caused by the accident. There are special rules that govern when health insurance companies are entitled to be repaid that can be complicated. We were able to get the health insurance companies to waive all reimbursement under the special Washington law.
We were also able to convince one medical provider who was out of network to waive a $59,000 bill that remained even after health insurance paid a portion. It’s uncommon for a medical provider to waive a balance it its entirety but sometimes can happen in situations like this were there isn’t enough auto/motorcycle insurance to cover the medical bills.
$225,000 settlement for trip and fall over sprinkler head
On June 16, 2013 our client Kelly was walking on a pathway on the way to Houghton Beach Park on the shores of Lake Washington in Kirkland. It was a gathering of friends and they were on their way down to the park. The pathway had a large wooden post in the middle of the pathway, which Kelly had to walk around. She went to the left of the wooden post and her left foot caught on a sprinkler head as she was walking around the wood post. This caused Kelly to fall forward down the hill.
Kelly instinctively put out her left hand to break her fall and attempted to protect her head with her right hand. However, it was too hard of a fall. Kelly landed on her front torso hitting her face on the ground during the fall, breaking her nose and two front teeth, as well as badly fracturing her left wrist. Her wrist had a severe distal radius fracture.
Kelly’s wrist and nose fractures required surgery to repair the injuries. The nose surgery went well and fixed the fracture. Her wrist surgery was also successful in repairing the fracture. The surgery repair required an external fixation device to keep the wrist immobile for many weeks after the surgery. The device was gruesome and shocking to see. Once the device was remove, a complication developed. She developed complex regional pain syndrome (compartment syndrome or CRPS).
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a permanent condition that has no cure. This condition required multiple surgeries to remove scar tissue, and continued treatment for the associated pain. CRPS was and is extremely painful for Kelly to deal with. Even today, she still suffers from pain in her wrist from the fall.
There were two parties potentially responsible for Kelly’s trip and resulting injuries. The City of Kirkland owned the pathway and was responsible for the large wood post in the middle of the pathway. The sprinkler that caused the trip and fall was installed by a homeowner on the side of the pathway.
The legal issue was which was installed first: the wood post or the sprinkler. A lawsuit was required to answer this question and get our client compensation. The City was able to show the wood post had been in place long before the sprinkler was installed. Therefore, placing fault squarely on the homeowner. We claimed the homeowner installed the sprinkler too close to the wood post and in the pathway. The homeowner of course disagreed. Liability was hotly contested.
Ultimately, through mediation we were able to obtain a settlement in the amount of $225,000 for our client.
$200,000 settlement for motorcycle rider forced off freeway
On a sunny February afternoon, our client Bryan Hall was riding his Harley Davidson Road King motorcycle with a lady friend on the back. They had taken a ride to Enumclaw, Washington for lunch and were on their way home to Tacoma.
As Bryan was riding westbound on the SR 512 freeway in Puyallup, Washington a car out of the blue and without provocation instigate a road rage confrontation with Bryan. Bryan tried to get away from the car, but the car swerved into Bryan, smashing into the right side of the motorcycle.
Bryan’s motorcycle was thrown into the cable barriers along the freeway. The cable barrier grabbed the motorcycle and Bryan and his passenger were ejected from the bike flying some 150 feet and landing in the grass median of the freeway.
Both of them sustained severe and serious injuries.
Because of the motorcycle accident, Bryan suffered a broken back, wrist fracture, ankle fracture, and broken ribs. Bryan’s most severe injuries included:
- L2 burst fracture of spine vertebrae
- Spinous process fracture – multiple in thoracic and lumbar spine from T2 – L4
- L3 Bilateral laminar fracture
- T12-L4 Four level lumbar spine fusion surgery
- Left wrist fracture
- Left Ankle open fracture
- Rib fractures – multiple
Bryan required multiple surgeries to repair the multiple broken bones. He had to endure a lumbar spine fusion of four of his spine vertebrae, wrist surgery and ankle surgery. He was in ICU for four days and hospital for a total of 18 days.
After being release from the hospital Bryan spent five weeks at an in-patient rehabilitation center (very similar to a nursing home, no fun!!) after his surgeries. The total medical bills added up to over $400,000. While Bryan was recovering from the accident, he was not able to work for nearly a year. The amount of lost wages was high.
Although, Bryan injuries have healed as best they can, he has been left with difficulty walking, bending, and doing activities that required much physical exertion. He has been able to buy another motorcycle and ride again. However, he can’t ride as much or a long before his surgically repaired back becomes too painful to continue. Bryan’s life will never be the same again.
As is all too common in severe motorcycle accidents like this, there was not enough car insurance or motorcycle insurance to cover the full value of Bryan’s accident.
We were able to obtain all insurance policy limits available in the amount of $200,000. The at-fault car only had $100,000 in liability coverage and Bryan only had $100,000 in underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage on his motorcycle insurance.
The key reason Bryan needed an attorney like Max Meyers was because Max was able to get Bryan’s health insurance to waive reimbursement for the medical bills it paid, thus ensuring Bryan received some compensation for the accident. Without an attorney fighting for Bryan the health insurance company would have taken all the vehicle insurance money available leaving Bryan with nothing.
Bryan’s case highlights why Max strongly recommends motorcycle riders have motorcycle insurance in Washington despite it not being required. That motorcycle insurance should have as much Underinsured Motorist (UIM) as possible. Max recommends at least $500,000 in UIM coverage. Bryan’s case was likely worth over 2,000,000 million had there been adequate insurance available.
Check out Bryan’s blog www.hiwayflyer.com. Here’s a link to Bryan’s blog article about the motorcycle accident in his own words. http://hiwayflyer.com/where-the-hell-have-i-been.html.
$195,000 settlement for mother and son hit in crosswalk
Our clients were out for a walk with their dog on a mid-November day. They came to a crosswalk at an intersection along the way. As they began crossing in the crosswalk with the walk signal, they were hit by an SUV. The driver of the SUV failed to see our two clients and their dog in the crosswalk in front of her as she took a left turn. Both of our clients were thrown 10 feet at impact and sustained significant injuries. They were both taken by ambulance to Harborview Medical Center.
One of our clients suffered a broken arm, broken bones in his lower back and a broken pelvic bone. Our other client suffered from hematomas, a pelvic fracture, and a tailbone fracture. Luckily neither of our clients needed surgery to fix their broken bones. Each of them had medical bills over $29,000.
Daily life became a challenge for our clients after the accident. The accident occurred one day before their scheduled move out of the state. This caused additional expenses in delays with their move due to the injuries they sustained. A wheel chair and walker were required in order for our clients just to get around.
Activities such as dressing or taking a shower were difficult and very painful. These activities also required additional assistance from a family member. They were unable to go to the gym to exercise, which they both normally did an average of 3-4 times a week. Our client’s physical injuries healed in a matter of months. However, fear and anxiety about crossing the street required counseling and continues to be an ongoing struggle.
We were able to obtain a combined settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for our clients of just over $195,000.
$150,000 settlement for bicyclist hit by driver making a left turn
Our client was going out for a bicycle ride with a friend on a warm September morning. They were riding down a hill in a designated bike lane going about 30 m.p.h. A car was coming up the hill from the other direction. Our client was following behind his riding buddy by about 30 feet. As our client’s friend passed the car it suddenly made a left turn in front of our client. Our client smashed into the passenger side front quarter panel of the car. The crash impact sent him flying across the hood of the car and crashing to the pavement on the other side of the care. Our client was hurt badly and was transported to the hospital by ambulance.
As a result of the accident, our client suffered two broken toes, a dislocated toe, a concussion, two rib fractures, a right thumb injury, neck and knee strain, a right shoulder injury, road rash, and a laceration on his left shin that required stitches. Due to the accident, our client also started to have feelings of anxiety and depression. He had not been on a bike since the accident and was dealing with the fear of getting back on his bike. The total medical bills came to over $20,000.
The injuries our client sustained made it very painful to do many things like sneeze, cough, roll over, sit up, twist, stand up, and bend over to tie his shoes. He was forced to give up his bike commute, his daily exercise routine, and all physical activities.
Our client was able to recover from nearly all of his injuries. He did have some permanent numbness on the foot that was broken due to nerve damage. However, he was able to resume riding his bicycle. He trained and got back to the same level of riding he had prior to the crash. However, he found that he had lost the passion for bicycle riding because he felt like he was looking over his shoulder for a car to hit him.
The car insurance company felt our client’s injuries weren’t very bad and questioned some of them because they showed up months after the crash. As a result, they did not make a fair settlement. We were forced to file a lawsuit to get fair compensation for our client.
Following the discovery phase of the case, in particular the deposition of our client, the insurance company finally realized they had made a mistake in evaluating our client’s case. Our client was able to show how serious his injuries were, and despite this did everything possible to get back to normal again.
We were able to obtain a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for just under $150,000.
$150,000 settlement for motorcycle rider hit by driver making left turn
Our client Jim was an avid motorcyclist and commuted to work on his BMW K1300S year-round rain or shine. On an afternoon in December 2014, Jim was riding his BMW motorcycle northbound on Alderwood Mall Parkway near the intersection of 28th Ave. W. in Lynnwood, Washington. As he approached the intersection, he observed a green signal and continued riding through the intersection.
As Jim entered the intersection, a car from the opposite direction decided to make a sudden and unexpected left turn in front of him. Jim attempted to apply his brakes as he saw the vehicle directly in front of him, however, there was no time, and Jim smashed in the passenger side of the car. After impact, Jim and his motorcycle crashed to the pavement.
Lynnwood Police Department responded to the scene and spoke with both drivers and two witnesses to the collision. Both witnesses confirmed they had observed the signal was green as Jim entered the intersection and witnessed the car make a left turn in front of Jim. Following investigation, the police officer wrote a ticket to the car driver for failure to yield the right of way and deemed the car at fault for the motorcycle v. car accident.
After the motorcycle accident, Jim was taken by ambulance to the emergency room with injuries to his left forearm, wrist, and thumb. He also suffered from abdominal pain, dizziness, sleep deprivation, headaches and nausea. After x-rays were taken, Jim was diagnosed with a thumb fracture (first metacarpal bone fracture). Jim’s broken thumb required surgery to repair it.
Jim’s injuries made it difficult for him to work. He was an IT consultant and worked on a computer all day. Jim was forced to take time off from work and missed three weeks of work.
Following surgery, Jim was sent to physical therapy and occupational therapy. It took over nine-months for him to recover. The medical bills totaled more than $46,000. It was seven months following the motorcycle accident before Jim was able to get back on his bike and ride again. Although Jim’s broken bone healed, he still struggles with pain and stiffness in his hands and fingers.
We were able to obtain all the insurance policy limits available to Jim in the amount of $150,000. We were also able to get his health insurance to waived reimbursement for the medical bill it paid, thus increasing Jim’s take home recovery.
$150,000 settlement for motorcycle rider rear ended by an intoxicated driver
On an early summer evening, our client was riding as a passenger on her husband’s motorcycle. As her husband attempted to change lanes, a motorcycle rider directly behind them slammed into the back of their motorcycle. This caused her husband to lose control of the bike and both of them crashed to the ground. Police came to the scene and determined that the rider who hit them was driving while intoxicated (DUI). Our client was taken from the scene of the accident by ambulance to the ER.
She suffered from a deep elbow laceration with exposed bone, abrasions to her face, arms, shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, fingers and right knee. She also suffered from edema and road rash. Surgery was required to repair her elbow. After surgery was done, she was required to do physical therapy and massage therapy over the following twelve months. Her medical bills exceeded $51,000.
Following the accident, our client missed a significant amount of work due to the need for treating her injuries. The wound on her elbow was severe and became infected, which was extremely painful. The pain made it almost impossible for our client to use her arm. The pain after the collision made sleeping very difficult, and she was not able enjoy her usual daily activities.
We were able to obtain a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for $150,000.
$150,000 settlement for I-90 sudden lane change
On a summer afternoon in August, our client was involved in a high-speed collision on the I-90 freeway near Issaquah. He was on his way home on a sunny summer afternoon. A vehicle in the lane to the right of our client’s car swerved into his lane causing him to have to take evasive action, which resulted in his car, rotating 180 degrees, and slamming into a guardrail with the driver’s side of his car. On impact with the guardrail, our client’s airbags deployed.
The car that swerved into our client’s lane then drove off. Luckily a Good Samaritan on the road chased down the car and made him pull off and go back to the accident scene. The at-fault driver stated there was a third vehicle, a semi-truck, that entered his lane, which caused him to swerve into our client’s lane. The third vehicle (semi-truck) also apparently drove off from the scene and no identification of that vehicle was known.
Our client was transported via ambulance from the scene to the hospital. He had left shoulder pain that worsened with movement and a frontal headache. He had a shoulder and chest x-ray and was diagnosed with a head injury and a shoulder contusion as a result of the collision.
In the days following the wreck it become clear our client had suffered a severe head injury or trauma brain injury (TBI). He was suffering from concentration problems, unable to think clearly, dizziness, vertigo, fatigue, and daily headaches. These symptoms prevented him from being able to work and perform his job duties. Being self-employed as a computer engineer, he was unable to work at his computer or focus. In fact, working on a computer or any other electronic device is one of the worst things someone with a TBI or severe concussion can do. These screens are highly taxing on the brain, which is the opposite of what your brain needs after suffering a trauma.
Being unable to use a computer meant our client couldn’t work. This put a great strain on him and his family both emotionally and financially. Our client was not able to return to work without restrictions or limitations for over a year. As you can imagine he suffered a significant amount of lost wages as a result. His wage claim was approximately $100,000.
Our client and his wife have two young children and share the daily responsibilities of raising a family and taking care of the household. After the collision, because of the head injury he was dealing with, our client was unable to help take care of the children or help with house work. His wife had to assume 100% of the housework and childcare duties, as well as take care of our client while also working a full-time job. They had to hire help, which was a difficult decision to make since things were financially tight due to our client being unable to work.
Because of the collision injuries, he was forced to put all hobbies on hold and virtually stop all activities. Not only did he feel guilty that he was not able to help out around the house and with his children he was unable to relieve stress with his favorite hobbies like golfing and hiking. His children did not understand why their father could not play with them and spend time with them. It took over six months before he could regain some semblance of normalcy in his daily activities.
When a vehicle causes a wreck and then flees the scene, like the semi-truck,did here, it is called a phantom vehicle on insurance policies. This also covers a hit-n-run driver. The Phantom vehicle that caused part of our client’s accident triggered the Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage in our client’s auto insurance policy. Uninsured Motorist designed to cover these situations. Our client had $100,000 in coverage and we were able to obtain all of those funds for him.
We also made a claim against the vehicle that swerved in front of our client. The Good Samaritan witness on the road said there was no semi-truck or other phantom vehicle that cut-off the at-fault driver. As a result of this witness testimony we had evidence to pursue a claim against that driver. Liability was hotly contested, but we ultimately were able to obtain another $50,000 in settlement funds for our happy client.
We were able to obtain a total settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance and our client’s Uninsured Motorist insurance for $150,000
$145,000 Settlement for fractured spine following I-5 roll over accident caused by drunk driver.
On a later December evening our client Nathan was driving a friend home I-5 freeway. Unexpectedly and without warning a vehicle driven by a drunk driver hit the right side of Nathan’s car forcing it into the cement barrier on the left side of the freeway. The impact with the cement barrier caused Nathan’s car to roll.
As a result of the roll-over accident Nathan suffered a compression fracture of one of his spine vertebrae, a broken collarbone, several small disc bulges in his lower back, concussion, and cuts and bruises to his arms and legs. It took Nathan over a year to recover from most of his injures. His medical bills totaled just over $27,000. However, Nathan had some low back pain that would not go away and was a nuisance that would continue.
The at-fault driver had 100,000 of insurance policy limits available, which we were able to get them to pay. Nathan also had underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) on his car insurance. We were able to convince his insurance company to pay an additional 45,000 to cover fully compensate him for all his injuries. The total settlement for Fredrick was $145,000.
$94,000 – Bicycle Hit By Car Turning Left Settlement
Car turned left through stopped traffic striking our client who was riding in the bike lane causing a bad Kirkland, Washington bicycle accident. Client was thrown off his bike and slammed into the pavement suffering serious injury.
Serious injuries included five broken ribs, four fracture vertebrae in his low back, a small puncture of a lung, and small laceration to his liver. No surgery was required. Luckily for our client he was for the most part back to normal six months after the Kirkland bicycle accident.
Medical expense amounted to a little over $19,000. Settlement of over $94,000 was achieved for client.
$70,000 Settlement for aggravation of prior herniated low back disc
Our client was on her way to work in the morning on a two-lane road. Traffic was heavy and our client was stopped behind traffic as a car approached from the other direction. The approaching driver had fallen asleep and began drifting into the lane of oncoming traffic. The approaching car crossed over the center line and hit our client’s car head on.
Our client suffered injuries to her neck, mid back, low back, right shoulder, and left hip. However, our client had a prior low back disc herniation that existed before the accident. The herniation was made worse and compressed a nerve following the accident. Client treated for over fifteen months until she reached a stable condition. Client’s total medical bills were a little over $15,000.
Despite the prior history of injury in the body part, we were able to get a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for $70,000.
$65,400 Settlement for bicycle rider with broken wrist
Our client Alice was riding her bicycle across a marked crosswalk in Selah, WA. A SUV was waiting at a stop sign across the street planning to go through the intersection. Alice thought the SUV saw her, however the SUV did not and accelerated through the intersection. Alice was almost through the crosswalk when the SUV hit her on the right side, throwing Alice to the ground. The SUV driver claimed the sun was in her eyes so she didn’t she Alice on her bicycle.
Alice hit the pavement hard with her face skidding on the pavement, her head bounced off the pavement, her wrist was broken in the fall, and she had gravel embedded in road rash on her face and legs. The most serious injury was her broken wrist which required surgery to repair. Luckily for Alice she respond well to surgery and was able to fully recovered after about three months. The medical bills added up to a little over $32,000.
We were able to obtain a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for $65,400.
$62,500 Settlement for motorcycle rider cut off by left turning car
On his way home from work on a nice July day our client Fredrick was riding his Harley Davidson approaching an intersection. A car traveling in the opposite direction moved into the left turn lane as she approached the intersection. Fredrick had a green light as he passed through the intersection. The car failed to see Fredrick and turned left right in front of him at the last second leaving Fredrick with no escape route and no way to avoid a collision. Fredrick smashed into the passenger side of car. His beloved Harley Davidson was totaled.
As a result of the collision Fredrick suffered a back injury, lacerations to arm and leg, neck injury, compressed nerve in lower neck, and an injured hand.
The car that caused the motorcycle accident only had $25,000 of insurance to pay all his medical bills and compensate him for all the stress and pain he had to endure. Luckily, Fredrick also had underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) on his motorcycle, which stepped in and paid an additional $37,500. The total settlement for Fredrick was $62,500.
$52,000 Settlement for rear-end motorcycle accident
On a nice September evening our client Paul was riding his motorcycle to work. Paul stopped for a red light behind about seven cars. A car approached from behind but failed to see traffic was stopped ahead. The car smashed into the rear of the vehicle directly behind Paul’s motorcycle. The force of the impact threw the car into Paul and his motorcycle. Paul’s bike was then smashed between the car behind him and car in front of him. The force of impact caused Paul to back flip off of the motorcycle landing hard on the pavement.
As a result of this rear end motorcycle accident Paul suffered a concussion, neck strain, back strain, and pelvis injury with radiating pain and numbness into his left buttock, thigh and lower leg. It took Paul the better part of seventeen months to recover as best he could. His medical bills totaled $13,500.
Because Paul was moving out of the country he chose to take a settlement of $52,000 despite some ongoing injury symptoms.
$50,000 Policy Limits Settlement – Car pulling out from driveway hits motorcycle
Car pulled out from a driveway and failed to see our client on his motorcycle. Motorcyclist was hit by car on the right side of bike causing him to crash. Client suffered a broken bone in his foot, shoulder injury, and knee injury all of which required surgical repairs. Medical bills exceeded $55,000.00.
At-fault vehicle paid its policy limits of $25,000. Our client had $25,000 underinsured motorist (UIM) on his motorcycle insurance policy, which stepped in to provide additional compensate for him. Both insurance companies paid the full limits the insurance policies for a total settlement of $50,000.00.
Client had medical insurance that paid all of his medical bills at a reduced contract rate. In the end client only had to repay $16,000 in medical bills from the settlement. However, his case had significantly more settlement value and is a good example of why motorcycle riders should carry at least 300,000 in Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage on their motorcycle insurance policy.
$50,000 Settlement for Bicyclist Hit on Sidewalk
Client riding bicycle to work on a sidewalk in Kirkland, Washington when car emerged from hidden driveway of condo complex. Car pulled over sidewalk then stopped. Client hit the front fender of the car and was thrown over the handlebars landing in the street suffering a separated shoulder.
The car failed to stop and look for pedestrians or bicycles before crossing the sidewalk with his car. In King County, Washington it is legal to ride bicycles on sidewalks and cars must yield right of way to such bicycles. Our client attempted to swerve and miss the car but he was unsuccessful. Settlement of $50,000 was achieved for client.
$50,000 Policy Limits Settlement – Left Turning Car v. Motorcycle Accident
Car turned left in front of our U.S. Veteran client throwing him forward over the handlebars and hood of the car, where he landed on the pavement on the other side of the car. Client suffered broken bones in each foot. Medical bills exceeded $13,000.00.
At-fault vehicle paid its policy’s limit of $25,000. Luckily, our client had $25,000 underinsured motorist (UIM) on his motorcycle insurance policy, which stepped in to provide additional compensation for him. Both insurance companies paid the full limits the insurance policies for a total settlement of $50,000.00.
$32,500 Settlement for rear-end car accident
Our client Heather was on her way home in Puyallup from a shopping trip with her mother who was in town from Florida. Heather and her mom were stopped at a red light when they were suddenly crashed into from behind by a large pick-up truck owned by a local construction company. The worker driving the truck fell asleep at the wheel and smash into Heather’s car as a result.
Heather suffered injuries to her upper shoulder and arm, upper back and chest from the seat belt. Heather went to her family doctor and then treated with a chiropractor until her injuries healed after six months. Heather was able to make a full recovery and her medical bills totaled $9,000. Heather also missed some work and had lost wages of $2,500.
We were able to obtain a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for $32,500.
$30,000 Settlement for a rear-end collision
Our client was on his way to work at Costco. While waiting at a red light, a car approached him from behind. The car didn’t see our client and violently smashed into the rear of his car. The impact was so severe it bent the entire rear portion of the client’s vehicle towards the ground and pushed his car into the middle of the intersection.
As a result of the collision, the client suffered injuries to his jaw, neck, right shoulder and some temporary pain in his arms. This made it difficult for our client to drive, work, or participate in his much-loved hobbies. Client was treated with massage therapy, physical therapy and steroid injections. He treated for over 7 months until he reached a stable condition. The total medical bills were a little over $12,000.
The car that the client was driving at the time of the collision was totaled in the accident. There was a lot of sentimental attachment to this car, and unfortunately the client has not been able to replace “her”.
The at-fault driver’s insurance company refused to fully compensate our client for all the harms and losses suffered by our client in the accident. Our client was left with only one choice, which was to file a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was resolved through an arbitration, which was conducted by a court appointed arbitrator. Our client was awarded just under $30,000, which was approximately 30% more than the last best offer from the insurance company. Although litigation was necessary, our client was able to received full and just compensation for his accident injuries.
$30,000 Settlement for motorcycle rider cut off by left turning car
On a sunny spring day our client Bob was riding his motorcycle on E. Mercer Way on Mercer Island. Bob was traveling between 20-25 mph when a car approached from the other direction. The car failed to see Bob because it made a sudden left turn right in front of Bob. He hit the brakes and attempted to turn left to avoid the car, but turned so sharply his motorcycle slid out from under him. Bob and his motorcycle slid on the ground until both came to a stop barely missing the car.
As a result of this motorcycle accident Bob suffered injury to the left side of his body, including leg, hip, knee, and ankle as well as headaches and spine pain. It took Bob over nine months to recover from his injuries. His medical bills totaled $6,300
We were able to obtain a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance for $30,000.