Take a look at this photo. It seems like a minor fender bender. How much do you think the damage is worth? If this were your vehicle and the insurance offered you $20,000, would you accept the offer?
Thankfully, our client didn’t. Brittney called an attorney after the crash because she knew her personal injury was worth more than the insurance offer. Here’s how a team of Daniel Stark attorneys turned a low property damage case into a huge personal injury settlement.
Crash Details
Brittney was rear-ended by the defendant in Austin, Texas. The Austin Police Department responded to the scene and cited the defendant with unsafe movement in the left lane, which caused the accident.
At the sight of the crash, she lost consciousness but didn’t seek immediate medical attention. The car was moved off the road and the client went home with her parents.
Treatment
Brittney began experiencing excruciating headaches and pain from her neck down to her legs. Our legal team was concerned about a spinal injury and encouraged her to get an MRI. Even though she was in severe pain, her first MRI scans appeared normal.
She went to multiple providers and even received neck injections but couldn’t find relief from the pain throughout her neck, back, and legs. We encouraged our client to seek additional medical care and scheduled her an appointment with providers using cutting-edge technology for brain injuries. Ultimately, these new tests confirmed that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the crash. Due to the TBI and loss of consciousness, Brittney has a higher risk of developing dementia.
Negotiations
The insurance company initially offered our client $20,000 for damages. Over three years, the insurance company continued to throw out low offers, none of them exceeding the initial offer. They were leveraging the normal MRI results, trying to use this as an excuse to save their company money. The attorneys refused to give up on our client and advised that she not settle until she had completed treatment.
We filed a lawsuit on behalf of our client and continued pushing for full value. Our legal team held off on counter offers until the client’s medical professionals could determine the total impact the injuries from the crash would have on the rest of her life.
Unique Story
The major turning point of this case was when the defendant’s own expert witness testified that a TBI could occur even if the brain scans showed no abnormalities. Brittney’s attorneys presented evidence that this crash had caused significant disruptions to her everyday life.
The effects of the injury caused mood swings, residual anger and pain, and severely impaired her mental capacity. She used to enjoy hanging out with family and friends. Before the accident, she enjoyed her job and did it without complaints. However, after the accident, she isolated herself from loved ones and had difficulty performing effectively at work.
Huge Settlement
The Daniel Stark attorneys presented Brittney’s unique story to the insurance company to show the true value of the case. Once the evidence proved she would have ongoing treatment for the effects of the injury, the insurance company settled. At the end of this case, our client was awarded the full value of $850,000.
Brittney knew she couldn’t handle her case on her own. She needed the expertise and resources of a qualified personal injury firm to get full value for her injury. After receiving 42.5 times the initial insurance offer, it was well worth it!
If you’ve been experiencing pain after a crash, but the property damage is minimal, don’t downplay your injury! Contact a qualified personal injury attorney to help get your life back on track.
To read more about this case, visit KBTX.
