Catastrophic injury accidents are undeniably traumatizing. One day, you are an “ordinary” person living an “ordinary” life and then, in the blink of an eye, all of that is taken away. When that happens, you may have endured excruciating pain. Your injuries may prevent you from ever again doing the jobs you’d done all your life, and they may forever alter what you are able to do for your family. These kinds of accidents — and the massive harm they cause — may create a need for especially large amounts of compensation to address all of the damage done. If that kind of accident has impacted you, be sure you have the right San Mateo vehicle accident attorney on your side to help you get all the compensation you deserve.
S.R. was one of those catastrophically injured people. The 40-year-old husband and hotel housekeeping worker was driving his motorcycle in Studio City when a Dodge Ram pickup truck crashed into him at an intersection. Excruciating pain forced him to lay his bike down on the pavement, according to mynewsla.com.
Despite doctors’ best efforts, they were unable to save S.R.’s foot and lower leg. He underwent a below-the-knee amputation roughly a week after the crash, according to the report.
The driver of the truck and his employer did not dispute that the driver was liable and the employer was vicariously liable for the crash. What they did dispute, however, was that the truck driver was solely liable for the crash. They also disputed the extent of the harm that the motorcyclist had suffered.
The defense argued to the judge that, although the truck driver was negligent, the motorcyclist was just as liable for the crash.
This is one of those areas where having the right attorney on your side is essential. If you can prove that you were obeying all the rules of the road (such as not speeding, staying in your lane, and obeying all right-of-way rules,) then that may position you to counter the defense’s arguments. You can assert that no reasonable action by you could have prevented the crash and that you were 0% responsible for the accident.
Proving this may require collecting extensive forensic evidence and expert testimony. This may include testimony from an accident reconstruction expert or an engineer.
Additionally, you may need more experts to buttress your claim for damages. In this case, the motorcyclist sought more than $30 million in total damages for his catastrophic accident. The defense argued that the totality of his damages added up only to $5 million. The motorcyclist and his legal team had an array of experts, including four medical experts, a vocational rehabilitation expert, an economics expert, a life care planning expert, and three others. These 10 experts helped paint a picture of a man who had suffered damages far greater than what the defense asserted.
This presentation was successful in persuading the judge, who awarded the motorcyclist and his wife more than $23.7 million in damages, including $19.2 million in non-economic damages.
When you have suffered a life-altering accident and need to pursue a potentially life-altering court case, having the best possible legal representation is a must. Count on the experienced catastrophic accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos to be that sort of powerful advocate for you. To set up a free consultation with one of our helpful attorneys, contact us at 650-345-8484 or through our website.
A California Motorcyclist Recovers $23M in Damages After a Catastrophic Accident Ended in a Leg Amputation
