67 Year Old Injuries Resulting From Teens Failure to Yield

A Teen Driver’s Impatience Resulted In T-Bone Collision

Red light runners cause hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries every year. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over 143,000 people were injured in red light running crashes in 2019.

Our client, a sixty-seven-year-old housekeeper, was driving to her second job on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, DC when another car ran a red light.

The teenage driver decided they couldn’t be bothered to stop at the red light. The teen’s impatience caused a “T-bone collision” where the front of their vehicle struck the side of our client’s, forming the shape of a “T” at the point of impact. The teen driver was on her way home from an exclusive private school in DC – driving her father’s car.

Both of the cars were totaled and the housekeeper had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.

A Severe Back Injury Meant Our Lawyers Got Involved Quickly

After being taken to the emergency room, the housekeeper asked a trusted friend (who we had helped years prior with their own accident case) for a recommendation for an experienced D.C. accident lawyer.

An MRI and CT scan showed the force of the T-bone collision had herniated a disk in the housekeeper’s neck. She was admitted to the hospital and underwent cervical fusion surgery on their neck. Our client had a long road of therapy and rehabilitation for the neck injury.

Evidence Of Fault And Injury Was Critical To A Successful Accident Claim

After meeting with the housekeeper in the hospital, we investigated the accident scene to be sure of the liability phase of the case and prove the teen driver was at fault. We interviewed witnesses of the crash and those familiar with the intersection at Connecticut Avenue.

We worked with our client’s doctors and therapists to ensure they received proper medical treatment and care to assist them on the road to recovery (our client was an older lady who didn’t speak English and needed an advocate on her side). By working with her doctors, were able to make sure they would testify that all of the treatment and medical expenses were caused by a crash.

We even hired outside doctors to examine our client and review all of their medical records to submit as additional evidence about the severity of her injuries, cost of the medical treatment, and any future medical care they may need.

As A Minor, The Teen’s Parents Were Liable For Our Client’s Injuries And Damages

We knew insurance coverage limits could hinder our case, so we got to work investigating the teen driver’s policy and assets. Since the teen was underage at the time of the accident, her parent’s assets (money to supplement the cost of medical treatment after reaching the insurance policy limit) were able to be used and as such, they were responsible for the damages their child caused.

The teen’s father, who owned the car they were driving at the time of the accident, was a prominent physician in Virginia. We knew we had leverage in the negotiations to get a fair and full settlement for our client. We thought the father of the driver would insist his insurance company pay a reasonable settlement for the accident to avoid a potential trial that could jeopardize his personal assets.

The father was smart – he had a significant insurance policy to protect him with enough money to pay a settlement for very serious injuries and damages caused by the crash.

Following some initial pushback by the insurance company, the case settled for a substantial amount, adequate to help the housekeeper with everything she needed after the accident. After time and numerous appointments for rehab, our client made a nearly full recovery and is now enjoying her time with her grandchildren.

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