Motor Vehicle Collision Involving Employee in the Course and Scope of His Employment

Fowler | Helsel | Vogt secured a huge settlement of $1,250,000 on behalf of our four clients. The settlement stemmed from a motor vehicle collision in which a vehicle ran a red light executing a left-hand turn directly in front of our clients’ vehicle. The Defendant disputed the case and told investigating officers that he had the green light.

Facts of the Case

Our clients were driving southbound on a state highway, approaching an intersection controlled by a stop light. At the same time, Defendant was driving his work Vehicle northbound on the same highway and was stopped in the left turn lane to turn westbound onto the intersecting street. For reasons unknown, and with the turn light facing his Vehicle still red, Defendant pulled out and turned directly in the path of our clients’ vehicle who were lawfully traveling through the intersection on a green light that was in the process of transitioning to yellow. The violent collision caused extensive damage to both Vehicles as they came to rest well beyond the impact point in the intersection. Each of the four (4) occupants in our clients’ vehicle sustained injuries.

Treatment

Each of the occupants sustained soft tissue injuries that required chiropractic care, physical therapy, targeted pain injections, and at home exercises.

Legal Strategy

Initially, the case was a he said/she said situation with who had the green light. Our legal team was able to obtain video footage from a nearby gas station that shows the collision and the transition of the lights from Green to Yellow as our clients entered their intersection. Fowler | Helsel | Vogt used this footage to ensure that full liability was placed on the at-fault driver. Our team helped facilitate the clients’ access to medical treatment and combat the Defendant medical team which attempted to downplay and negate their injuries. After taking the case within two weeks of trial, our team dramatically increased the original offer to $1,250,000.

Settlement Terms

Fowler | Helsel | Vogt increased an opening offer of $50,000 to $1,250,000.

Conclusion

Fowler | Helsel | Vogt knows that the key to liability decisions can offer lie in the video evidence that, if you act quickly, can be obtained from neighboring property owners. Our legal team knows that our clients can never be fully compensated when liability decisions are wrong.