Our client is a 46-year-old Chinese-American woman who is a Ph.D. laboratory research scientist. One day, as she was driving in Omaha, she was involved in a three-car accident. She was driving the middle car at the time of the crash.

Auto Accident Injuries and Treatment

The car crash caused our client to suffer serious physical injuries, including:

Before the accident, our client had perfect 20/20 vision. After the accident, she suffered hypertropia (misalignment of the right eye) and chronic double vision.

Her treatment included many doctors’ visits, including:

  • Diagnosis and treatment plan developed by a neuro-ophthalmologist
  • Physical therapy for her vestibular issues which was reasonably effective but did not eliminate her vertigo
  • Physical therapy for her vision issues
  • Prism glasses to correct her double vision

She missed a lot of time from work while recovering from her injuries, but was eventually able to return to her job.

We Helped Her Get Multiple Insurance Company Settlements

The driver who caused her crash had a $50,000 car insurance policy. However, the insurer wasn’t treating our client fairly. The insurer doubted that the car crash caused her eye injury and was trying to find a way to deny her claim. While our client had about $25,000 in medical bills, about half of which was for physical therapy, the insurer claimed our client was overtreated and initially declined to compensate her. However, after suing the at-fault driver, but before we even got to deposition, we convinced the insurance company to pay our client the policy limit of $50,000.

Unfortunately, $50,000 was not enough to fully compensate our client for her chronic injuries.

So, we pursued a claim against her own insurance company through our client’s underinsured motorist coverage. Initially, her insurance company said the $50,000 from the other insurance company adequately compensated her for her injuries. Then:

  • The insurance company offered $15,000 to settle the case, which we declined.
  • We engaged in written discovery.
  • The insurance company offered $25,000 to settle the case, which we declined.
  • We served notice to the insurance company in the form of a prejudgment interest letter demanding full compensation. This under-used legal tactic can force the insurance company to pay our client’s court costs and fees if the client receives more than the offer.
  • A month later, our client’s own insurer settled her underinsured motorist claim for $100,000.

In the end, our client recovered a total of $150,000 for her car accident injuries.

Let Us Worry About Your Car Accident Lawsuit

When our client came to us, she was very nervous about pursuing a Nebraska car accident case.  She expressed concern that, as a professional, she did not want to seem like “one of those people who likes to file lawsuits.”  Attorney Matthew Lathrop explained the process to her, made her comfortable with her legal options, and always reminded her that she was in charge of deciding what to do next.

We will do the same for you. We are always here to answer all of your questions and make you comfortable with your legal options so that you can make the best possible decisions. Contact the Law Office of Matthew A. Lathrop today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation about your own car accident case.

 

$150,000