| ... |
|
... |
|
___________________________________________________ |
Motor Vehicle Collision
A major vehicle collision can permanently change
a person’s life in an instant.
Our compassion supports clients through this difficult time.
Our experience brings them favorable results.
We have obtained many multi-million dollar verdicts and
settlements on behalf of catastrophic injury and wrongful
death victims related to automobile collisions.
This type of claim can involve complicated insurance questions.
We have decades of experience with insurance issues and
determining responsibility.
In addition, we have successfully presented claims on behalf
of victims of defective automobile designs involving defective
air bags, seat belt systems and defective fuel systems.
Examples of our automobile collision verdicts
and settlements:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jones v. Yellow Cab of Seattle
$5.6 million verdict
Plaintiff’s counsel: Keith L. Kessler
A 20-year-old student approached a north Seattle intersection
on his motorcycle when a Yellow Cab suddenly entered the
intersection from a side street. The motorcyclist swerved
but couldn’t avoid being hit. Keith and the legal
team filed suit against the taxi company and its driver,
as well as against the City of Seattle for failing to trim
shrubs blocking a driver’s view of the intersection.
The verdict amount was to cover lifetime care needs for
the student, who was in a coma for two months and has since
passed away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welnick v. Carpenter
Chronic pain jury verdict
Plaintiff’s co-counsel: Karen K. Koehler, Michael
E. Withey
Distracted by the hubbub of downtown Seattle, a driver rammed
a classic 1966 Mustang in which plaintiff was a passenger.
A member of a colorful rock ’n’ roll family,
plaintiff gave up on her doctors and learned to live with
pain. During trial plaintiff’s husband played the
keyboard and sang for the jury to demonstrate the loss of
consortium that occurred because of his wife’s depression.
The jury entered verdict for three times the defense’s
final offer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jackson v. Washington State University
$2.5 million settlement
Plaintiff counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter
A student lost the use of his arm, and his legs were temporarily
paralyzed in a vehicle rollover. The 19 year old was part
of a lacross team trip to California.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lau v. Crew Shuttle, Inc.
$2.16 million (policy limits) settlement
Plaintiff’s co-counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter, Keith
L. Kessler
A pedestrian crossing an intersection was struck by a van
and then a car.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soto v. John Doe
$1.6 million settlement
Plaintiff’s co-counsel: Kevin Coluccio, Paul L. Stritmatter
An Easter Sunday drive ended in a head-on collision for
the Soto family. The mother suffered partial loss of kidney
function and closed-head injuries. Her husband and their
two children sustained injuries as well. The other driver
was intoxicated and driving a company vehicle. Our legal
team worked with the man’s personal insurance company
and his employer’s insurance company for the Soto
family’s settlement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jefferson v. City of Redmond
Fractured vertebrae jury verdict
Plaintiff’s counsel: Karen K. Koehler
An aid car driver was driving to a training meeting and
not paying attention when he crashed into the rear of plaintiff’s
stopped small truck, turning left on a rural highway. The
ambulance driver said he didn’t see anything. An eyewitness
coming the other direction thought plaintiff didn’t
have her blinker on and slammed on her brakes. Ms. Jefferson
was a computer consultant with a complicated personal history.
The city placed a low settlement value on the case, reasoning
that a jury would dislike her and possibly find that it
was she who caused the crash. The jury found the city 100
percent at fault and entered a verdict for 35 percent more
than the defense offer. After the verdict the judge assessed
sanctions against the city for failing to admit its fault.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hill v. Green
Confidential settlement
Plaintiff’s counsel: Paul W. Whelan
The settlement will help cover medical and living expenses
for the plaintiff, who suffered brain injury in an auto
collision.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pemberton v. Arnold
$1.5 million settlement
Plaintiff’s counsel: Paul W. Whelan
Driving to a party after the high school prom, 16-year-old
Georgia Pemberton and her date were struck by an oncoming
car that crossed the center line. Georgia died instantly.
The driver of the oncoming car was retaliating against a
driver who had cut him off. Since the incident, Georgia’s
mother has been advocating road rage prevention and tougher
penalties.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morales v. Yellow Cab
$1.25 million settlement
Plaintiff’s co-counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter, Keith
L. Kessler
A female pedestrian suffered a closed-head injury when she
was hit by a taxi.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gould v. Westgate
$1.2 million settlement
Plaintiff counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter
Plaintiff suffered partial loss of colon and back fractures
in an auto collision.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
King v. Bolen, Toles, et al.
Binding arbitration settlement
Plaintiff’s counsel: Karen K. Koehler
We handled the case for a father who survived a collision
that killed his son. In binding arbitration we securred
$341,500 for the son’s estate and $775,000 to the
father.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yielding v. Klingler
$1.15 million (policy limits) settlement
Plaintiff counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter
An auto collision left the plaintiff with significant lower
leg circulation problems.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Novak v. Carlisle
Jury verdict
Plaintiff’s co-counsel: Karen K. Koehler, Patrick
LePley (Karen’s former law partner)
A driver dropped her lunch in her lap and was looking down
as her car crunched into the rear of the plaintiff, Mr.
Novak. A traveling salesperson with a blackbelt in karate
and a champion archerer, Mr. Novak suffered a neck injury
that required surgery. The driver’s insurer refused
to pay its policy limits. The jury rendered a verdict for
more than three times insurance policy limits.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leong v. Lee Grocery
Jury verdict
Plaintiff’s counsel: Karen K. Koehler, Steve Shaw
(Karen’s former associate)
A delivery truck driver didn’t watch where he was
going and smacked into plaintiff. In her 70s, retired from
the family grocery and restaurant businesses, and learning
how to ballroom dance for the first time, plaintiff was
ready to enjoy the “sunset years” of her life.
The insurance company blamed plaintiff’s problems
on her old neck injuries and surgeries. The jury rendered
a verdict for exactly what the plaintiff asked for before
trial, and three times more than what the defense told the
jury the case was worth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Peck v. King County
$1 million settlement
Plaintiff’s counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter, Michael
E. Withey, Kevin Coluccio, Garth L. Jones
Chris Peck, an active 32-year-old, was riding a motorcycle
when he was struck and injured by a King County Sheriff’s
officer. The County conceded responsibility for the collision.
However, it denied liability for the chronic inflammatory
problems Chris had in his limbs following an unusual reaction
to a tetanus shot. Chris’ legal team successfully
settled the case on his behalf.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Huntington v. Atkinson
$1 million (policy limits) settlement
Plaintiff counsel: Paul L. Stritmatter
The plaintiff was paralyzed in a vehicle rollover incident.
We were able to obtain the maximum amount allowed by the
insurance company.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tracy
Lomker v. Pat Rabey Trucking
$900,000 settlement
Plaintiff’s counsel: Ray W. Kahler, Paul L. Stritmatter
Tracy Lomker, a wife and mother of three children, was broadsided
by a log truck as it attempted to pass her from behind while
she was turning left into a driveway from a rural highway.
The truck driver claimed that Tracy had her right turn signal
on. By quickly enlisting the help of an engineer to examine
the filaments/bulbs in Tracy’s vehicle, Ray and Paul
were able to establish that the left turn signal was on
at the time of impact and obtain a settlement on Tracy’s
behalf.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nelson v. Warehouse
$600,000 settlement
Plaintiff’s counsel: Paul W. Whelan
This settlement helped the plaintiff recover costs from
a rear-end collision.
|
|
