Our client was traveling straight on a multi-lane road, unaware of the danger ahead.
A driver coming from the opposite direction was waiting to make a left turn at a traffic-light controlled intersection. As the light turned yellow, a large truck stopped in one lane of traffic and blocked the left-turning driver’s view of the other lane. The driver wrongly assumed that there was no traffic in the other lane and started to make his left turn.
Our client was driving the vehicle traveling straight in the lane next to the truck and hit the left-turning vehicle. She suffered catastrophic injuries in this crash that included a shattered thigh bone. Within six months of the accident, she had three surgeries on her leg—and surgeons were still unsure whether they could save her leg.
Who Was at Fault for the Crash?
The left-turning vehicle driver’s insurer argued that our client was at fault for the crash. The insurance company claimed that the dashcam on the left-turning vehicle showed that our client got to the front of the intersection when the light turned red. The insurer argued that our client was speeding and she entered the intersection during a red light.
We argued that the defendant was negligent and that as a left-turning driver he was required to yield to all oncoming traffic before starting his turn.
Attorney Matthew Lathrop convened multiple focus groups to determine how a jury would consider the liability in this type of car accident case and used this information to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company. He also hired an engineer to download black box data from both vehicles. The black box data from our client’s car showed that she was not accelerating at the time of the crash and was barely traveling over the speed limit.
Our Client Recovers Insurance Policy Limits After Insurer Agrees on Liability
After considering the evidence, the insurance company agreed that the left-turning driver was at fault for the collision and agreed to pay the policy limits.
Additionally, Matthew negotiated aggressively with our client’s own insurance company. As a result, her insurer agreed to pay the rest of her medical bills.
Within six months, Matthew convened multiple focus groups, worked with an expert witness, and negotiated our client’s fair settlement. Even with outstanding medical needs, our client has certainty about her financial future and no longer has unsettled legal claims.
Learn How We Can Help You
We are focused on getting fair settlements for all of our clients. If you’ve been hurt in a Nebraska car crash, we encourage you to contact our Omaha car accident lawyers today for a free case evaluation.