A 42-year-old woman received a settlement for $85,000 for facial trauma that left scars suffered in a car accident in Worcester, Massachusetts. The other driver’s insurance company initially made low-ball offers of settlement. Here’s how we helped this client get the compensation she deserved.
How the Crash Occurred
In the late morning of a cold January day, our client was driving her Jeep in Worcester, Massachusetts. She began to slow down and put on her directional signal to prepare to make a turn. The distracted driver behind her did not see the Jeep slowing down and rear-ended the Jeep at a high speed.
The rear-end collision caused our client’s Jeep to flip onto its side and skid across the roadway into on coming traffic. Our client’s Jeep came to a stop after striking another vehicle in the opposite travel lane.
An Overview of the Injuries Suffered
Due to the severity of the collision, witnesses immediately called 911. An ambulance arrived at the accident scene within minutes. The emergency medical technicians (EMTs) were unable to get to our client because she was trapped in her Jeep. The fire department had to cut the canvas roof off of the Jeep in order to extricate the injured woman.
The injures to our client were apparent as she suffered numerous lacerations to her lower lip and chin. She also suffered a serious concussion when she struck her head on the interior of her Jeep and injuries to her knee and hip area.
The lacerations to the woman’s face required sutures to close. Luckily, our client did not suffer any broken bones, but developed post-concussion syndrome and discomfort in her jaw. A couple conservative courses of physical therapy helped resolve her knee and hip issues, but the concussion symptoms were rather bothersome. Our client continued to experience sensitivity to light, headaches and dizziness for months following the crash. Over time following her doctor’s recommendations, the concussion symptoms began to dissipate.
A major concern for this client was the scarring that resulted from her facial trauma. While it will take time for scars to mature, this client’s scars were still noticeable more than a year after the accident.
How Mahaney & Pappas Helped
This woman hired our office soon after the accident. We were able to advise her on right steps to take after being injured in a car accident. We were also able to coordinate with the several insurance companies to arrange for her medical bills to be covered and addressed through her Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits and her health insurer.
Our knowledge and experience in handling scarring cases is where we helped most. The other driver’s insurance company initially offered significantly less than the final settlement. It was our opinion that the adjuster did not appreciate the severity of the injuries our client suffered. Attorney Mahaney worked with an expert plastic surgeon to evaluate our client’s scarring. The expert surgeon provided a detailed report of the scars this woman suffered and the revision options available, including their cost.
Using the expert report and thorough negotiating skills, Attorney Mahaney was able to secure tens of thousands of dollars more than the insurance adjuster’s initial offers. In the end, our client accepted an $85,000 settlement and was more than happy with the results.
