$1 Million Settlement Car Accident

category: Car Accidents

$1 Million Car Accident Settlement

---

$1 Million Car Accident Settlement. Our two clients were driver and passenger in the same car in a major 24-vehicle pile-up on a major thoroughfare. Snowy/white-out conditions were present at the time. Plaintiffs were “sandwiched” in between two large motor vehicles. P2 suffered serious, severe injuries and multiple fractures and a stress-induced heart attack in the weeks following the incident. P1 also suffered serious injuries and multiple fractures. Many of the other vehicles were alleged to cause the wreck for driving recklessly and at unreasonable speeds given road conditions.

P1 was trapped inside the vehicle sandwiched between two larger motor vehicles. Emergency crews eventually freed P1 and airlifted P1 to a nearby medical institution. At the hospital, a number of CT scans, x-rays and tests were performed, with diagnoses of a nasal fracture, right calcaneus fracture, right navicular fracture, possible right posterior tibial injury, right medial malleolus fracture and right rib costochondral joint fracture. During the time following discharge from the hospital, P1 went to a number of different doctors’ appointments and underwent physical therapy. P1 also suffered and the resultant trauma.

P2 was impacted by parts of the vehicle P2 occupied pressed tightly against P2’s chest and abdomen, making it difficult to breathe. P2’s right wrist was contorted and pressed against the right cheek with P2’s right palm touching the anterior forearm, and remaining in this same position for nearly an hour.

Bystanders were unsuccessful in attempting to remove the P2 from the vehicle. Eventually, first responders had to extricate the P2 from the vehicle with equipment. P2 was then transported via ambulance to a nearby hospital. P2 was in the hospital for days undergoing numerous and various radiologic studies. Due to P2’s multiple facial fractures, teeth fractures and inability to shut mouth, P2 was required to undergo a full mouth extraction of all of teeth as well as a 4-quadrant alveoloplasty. P2 then underwent ORIF (Open Reduction Internal Fixation) of right subcondylar fracture and ORIF of left mandibular body fracture. P2’s diagnoses were nasal bone fracture, right subcondylar fracture with ORIF, mandible fracture with ORIF, extraction of all teeth, bilateral rib fractures, facial abrasions, lack of right wrist/hand control and left-hand partial-thickness laceration. Due to the stress and a myriad of factors from the event, P2 suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized.

The primary dispute by the defendants was over fault for the incident. Defendants’ representatives were blaming the white-out conditions and claiming an “Act of God” defense that nothing could have been done by defendants to avoid the pile-up. We engaged in a formal 12-hour mediation where a combined settlement of the two cases arrived at just under $1 Million dollars before totally extensive discovery was conducted and trial dates selected.