Our client was stopped and patiently waiting to turn left at a busy urban intersection. This major intersection had two turn lanes, and our client was in the rightmost turn lane, with cars in the next lane over, also waiting to turn left. When the drivers – including our client – received the green arrow, they began to turn, and this is when our client’s trouble began. A car in the next turn lane crossed over into our client’s lane, crashing into his car and inflicting back injuries on our client.
Our client’s medical history was complex, and he knew he would need an experienced auto accident attorney to help him successfully pursue his claim. Our client had a long history of back pain and a record of previous back surgeries prior to his car accident. The insurance company was stalling over which injuries were caused by the auto accident and which were pre-existing.
Time was running out for our client, even though he was still undergoing medical treatment for his injuries. If he was going to recover medical expenses, we would need to act quickly. I ordered a careful, thorough review of the client’s medical records to better determine which injuries were related to his recent auto accident. We also were able to determine that some of his pre-existing injuries had been aggravated by the accident.
I filed a lawsuit to move the case into litigation to be sure that the statute of limitations did not expire and prohibit our client from recovering any of his costs. I completed a process called paper discovery, in which a detailed, chronological record of our client’s medical history was created and which is much more informative than medical records alone. The next step in this complex case was to take the defendant’s deposition and defend our client’s deposition. The client and I prepared for his deposition, and I helped him understand what would happen in the deposition process. After all of this work, we could confidently assert which injuries were caused by the accident and which were not.
The deposition went well and paved the way for successful subsequent negotiations with the defense council. The defense offered a fair settlement, and our client accepted.
This case is a perfect example of how an extremely complex case that appears to be impossible can be resolved favorably with the help of an experienced auto injury attorney. If you find yourself in such a situation, one of our expert Personal Injury Attorneys will be happy to discuss your Oregon Personal Injury case with you. Call us now: 541-617-0555.