ALAMEDA COUNTY CALIFORNIA CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT: $500,000 Policy Limits
One challenging aspect of the law is that no two cases are alike.
Each presents unique challenges, but the goal remains the same:
serve the best interests of your client. The venue for this particular personal injury case was Alameda County, California, and it presented its own unique set of facts and issues.
My client was a 50 year old Asian immigrant woman who had been rear-ended while stopped and waiting for a pedestrian to cross the street.
Although there was not significant property damage to her vehicle, she immediately reported shoulder and back pain, and received extensive treatment for her neck and shoulder. After months of treatment, including an MRI and shoulder surgery for a rotator cuff injury, my client was continuing to battle severe depression caused by the accident. She felt that her life in America had been ruined, and needed both psychotherapy and treatment for post traumatic stress disorder, along with physical therapy and counseling with a licensed clinical social worker.
Her marriage suffered great strain as she went through this long period of physical pain and mental depression.
My client spoke very little English, which posed an additional challenge both in ascertaining the true nature of her ailments and in potentially presenting her case before a jury, as juries can be less sympathetic to a plaintiff who uses an interpreter. Also, she had not been working at the time of the accident.
After prolonged settlement negotiations, as well as trial preparation, the case was settled for the policy limits of $500,000 [see Our Results]. This figure represented a value of 20 years worth of earnings, which was significant in that my client was in her mid 50's. After negotiating a repayment of her medical lien, my client received a substantial, tax-free recovery which enabled her to put her life back together, including taking a trip with her husband to China to visit her family.
As noted, every case is different. This case involved effectively communicating with a client who had limited English-speaking skills so as to be able to best understand her injuries and history, and to intelligently gauge how and when to settle her case. An effective settlement strategy always includes being ready to go into court and be a zealous and effective advocate [see Firm Overview].
Providing compassionate and vigorous representation to injured people from all walks of life is what the lawyers at Blackman Legal Group do. If we can help you or a loved one who may have sustained injuries in an auto accident or other incident, please let us know. We are ready to help. The toll-free phone number is 1-866-528-8115.
