What Happened?
Jamie was stopped at a red light on 3rd Avenue and East 185th Street when he was struck from behind by a commercial van. The driver of the van claimed that he attempted to stop, but his brakes failed. After the accident, Jamie was taken by ambulance to Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York where he received medical treatment to his neck, back and shoulders. Thereafter, Jamie underwent pain management and physical therapy for herniated discs in his cervical spine and lumbar spine requiring epidural steroid injections and a percutaneous discectomy.
At the time of the accident, Jamie was self-employed. The aftermath of this accident rendered Jamie unable to work for 5 months. While Jamie focused on getting back on his feet, The Case Handler team ensured his medical bills and lost wages were paid by GEICO, his insurance company, pursuant to the New York No-Fault law. As we have discussed in prior case postings, the insurance company for YOUR vehicle pays YOUR medical bills and lost wages up to $50,000. In this case, Jamie’s medical bills and lost wages exceeded $50,000 which permitted Jamie to seek compensation for future medical bills from the commercial van that struck him.
To make a long story REALLY short, the insurance company for the commercial vehicle made a final offer of $500,000 to settle the case and avoid a trial against The Case Handler. After discussing the pros and cons of settlement, Jamie, with the advice of his counsel, rejected the offer leading up to a jury award of $831,803.85!
