Other Driver Ran a Red Light, Ended Surgeon’s Career
Our client learned to never settle for the first offer, especially if you have not gotten the entire story about your accident. A surgeon sustained a serious injury when another driver ran a red light and slammed into the vehicle he was riding in. The man was a foot surgeon and head of a major hospital department with a private practice. He loved his work and his patients loved him.
A Car Accident Injury Turns into an Early Retirement
The surgeon suffered multiple fractures to his right hand after the deploying airbag shattered it. While he got treatment quickly and his hand eventually healed, he could no longer perform the delicate operations necessary to keep his practice running. He eventually had to sell the practice and cease work at the hospital, forcing him into early retirement.
Thankfully, the surgeon had substantial disability insurance to cover his loss of earnings, but after hearing his case, we knew that he deserved much more because of the negligence of the other driver.
An Underinsured Motorist Employed By a Well-Insured Company
The motorist at fault only had a minimum coverage policy of $25,000, which barely made a dent in our client’s damages. Most attorneys would just take what they could get and say case closed, because you cannot get more than the insurance policy is worth from the insurer.
It is a good thing for our client that the attorneys at Buttafuoco & Associates are not like most attorneys and we knew there were options that we could still explore.
During the initial investigation of the accident, we heard some information that led us to believe the at-fault driver was driving for work purposes at the time of the crash. Further investigation revealed that yes, he was delivering a bag of rent money to his employer on Long Island.
The employer was a real estate firm with over 1,000 apartments and stores under its control. They had sufficient insurance to cover the accident so the case was back on track! Unfortunately, the company’s insurance adjusters were quick to deny that the at-fault driver was working at the time of the crash. They claimed he was visiting his sister on Long Island, but the driver’s recorded testimony claimed differently.
We had the at-fault driver on record saying he was in fact delivering the rent money to his employer, as he does the first Friday of every month. Unable to challenge the driver’s truthful statement, the real estate company’s insurance settled for several million dollars – a far cry from the $25,000 cap of the driver’s personal insurance!
This is a perfect example of why it is best to hire an attorney quickly and get a statement from the at-fault driver before his lawyers can coach him to change his story. We were able to use the truth, along with some thorough investigating, to get our client a fair settlement and make his early retirement more comfortable.
