What Happened
Our Virginia personal injury client was visiting the Virginia Beach Oceanfront when another driver crashed into his vehicle and left him with extensive soft tissue injuries to his neck and lower back. The T-bone collision occurred on 22nd Street near the entrance to I-264.
Emergency room physicians diagnosed our client with cervical and lumbar sprains, and the injured man underwent several courses of chiropractic treatment to relieve pain and restore mobility. The treatments spanned six weeks, including the remainder of his stay in Virginia and his return to his home in Florida. At the time he hired our Virginia personal injury attorney, his unpaid medical bills totaled approximately $4,100.
Related Content
A Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Discusses Neck and Back Injuries From Car Accidents
How a Virginia Personal Injury Lawyer Presents Medical Evidence to a Jury
How Long Can It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case or Secure a Jury Award?
Key Legal Strategy
The at-fault driver’s auto insurance company refused to settle the injured man’s claims, so our attorney filed a civil lawsuit. At trial, jury members received conclusive evidence that the other driver caused the crash by failing to yield right of way before entering 22nd Street from a cross street.
Our Virginia personal injury lawyer also presented testimony from the three chiropractors who treated his client. One of the health care providers took the witness stand in person, and the other two submitted written statements that our attorney read to the court. Each of the chiropractors described the extent of the man’s injuries and the degree of pain and physical limitations he experienced for months after the crash.
Last, our personal injury lawyer shared business records that documented the financial losses his client incurred by having to abandon a work project he had been pursuing while visiting Virginia Beach.
At the conclusion of the trial, jurors found for our client and awarded him a total of $27,000. The money allowed the injured man to pay all of his medical debts and replace his business losses.
It is worth noting that the T-bone collision that injured our client happened in 2004, but the jury trial finally took place in 2008. Auto insurance companies often use delaying tactics in an effort to force accident victims to accept unfairly low settlements or to abandon their claims altogether. This case proves that refusing to allow an insurer to succeed in playing such cruel games can benefit the plaintiff in a car accident case.
Court & Date: Virginia Beach Circuit Court, Virginia Beach, VA, 2008
Staff: Randall E. Appleton, staff attorney