We were recently able to get a settlement for a woman who was rear-ended. While stopped at a blinking red light, a vehicle hit her from behind very badly. She suffered a severe concussion, whiplash, and a shoulder injury among other injuries.
Immediately following the accident, she knew she was hurt, but didn’t know how bad. Over the next several days, she realized she was severely hurt and needed to seek treatment for her injuries. Only two days after the accident, her own insurance company showed up at her door and asked her to sign a document they gave to her so she wouldn’t pursue a settlement with them. She turned them away for many reasons, one of them being that she was unable to read as a result of the accident. Fortunately, one of her doctors referred her to us, and we were able to help her from there.
Aside from finding her the best doctors to take care of her and help her recover, we were able to get a settlement from the other driver. Unfortunately, the driver only had $15,000 of coverage, the smallest amount you can have in California. Because that only covered a small portion of the cost of the accident, we decided to file a claim with her own insurance company since she had uninsured motorist protection for $100,000. This also covers people who are underinsured, as the driver of the other vehicle in this accident. Because of this, we were able to get the difference from her insurance company for $85,000.
Had she signed the document the insurance company presented to her two days after her accident, she would have not been able to get this money. Fortunately for her, we were able to help her get compensation for the injuries she suffered. Unfortunately, she has permanent damage from this accident that she is still dealing with.
What made this case even more complicated was the fact that she has Medicare as her primary insurance. Because of how Medicare works, a portion of the settlement had to go to them to reimburse them for the money they paid out for her medical expenses. This is something that we took care of as well.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident and doesn’t know what to do or needs help understanding their options, please give us a call at 949-496-7000. The first call is always free and we will help you in any way we can.