Connecticut Woman Turns Down $12,000 Settlement Offer and Wins $75,000 Jury Verdict In Car Accident Case
November 7, 2012
After experiencing a personal injury accident, your next step, after receiving appropriate medical care, should be to seek expert professional legal help. At the Law Offices we know what it takes to get our injured clients the full and fair compensation that they deserve. For nearly three decades, our prestigious Boston law firm has helped win millions of dollars in damages for our injured Massachusetts clients. If you or a loved one have been hurt or killed in a car crash, please contact us as soon as possible! Our car accident attorney experts will stand firmly by your side to make sure that you receive every dollar that you deserve.
Sometimes, there is little you can do to prevent a car accident from happening. Although you have some control, as the driver of your own car, you can never be sure how other drivers will behave or react on the roads. Occasionally, there are near collisions that are avoided by timely reactions and fast reflexes behind the wheel. For others who are not so lucky, there may be no time to avoid a car crash.
Thankfully, the law provides a remedy to those who are not at fault—but injured—in a car accident. In a court of law, victims of a car accident may be entitled to money compensation in the form of a settlement or a damage award from a jury. However, it must be proven that the defendant actually caused the accident, through their negligence, and that there were actual damages to the plaintiff.
On November 7, 2012, 55-year-old Jane Weiner was stopped at a red light at the intersection of West Main Street and Boston Post Road in Milford, Connecticut. It was a cold day, and it was snowing. Before she could react, a pickup truck driven by 76-year-old Russell Gamble slammed into the back of her car. The accident caused Mrs. Weiner to suffer a bulging disc in her neck, as well as pain in her left arm, thumb and index finger. After an MRI revealed the bulging disc in Mrs. Weiner’s neck, she went to physical therapy. After about six months, she stopped treatment. Her doctor assessed her with a 7% permanent partial disability rating to her cervical spine. Her medical bills were $8,800.
After receiving treatment for her injuries, Mrs. Weiner filed suit against Gamble and his insurance company, Allstate. She was represented by Attorney Jessica Ayala. Allstate offered Mrs. Weiner $12,000, but she refused the settlement offer and continued to take the case to trial. At trial, Gamble claimed that he had only been driving about 2 miles per hour and that the icy conditions absolved him of any blame. The jury, however, disagreed. They awarded Mrs. Weiner $75,000 in damages. Plaintiff was represented by attorney Jessica Ayala.
