$1,350,000 Settlement for Woman Involved in an Auto Wreck During Inclement Weather

A new driver, on his way to high school in the rain, took a curve too fast, hydroplaned, and spun into oncoming traffic, careening toward our client’s vehicle. The force of the collision was so fierce that it catapulted our client’s car off the road and into the woods.

Fortunately, our client survived. When she came to, she was in a lot of pain but knew enough to know she was alive and could think. Her car’s emergency system automatically called 911. Paramedics arrived and took her to Grady Hospital’s trauma center.

Doctors at Grady quickly discovered she had a fractured sternum and would need surgery, which she had the next day. The surgery went well, but she had significant chest pain that would worsen as the day progressed. When she breathed, it felt as if the screws twisted into her chest plate, eliciting even more pain. Imaging tests revealed that one of the screws had never fully fastened to the bone. This is known to happen irrespective of the surgeon’s skill and is not the fault of the surgeon or the hardware. The loose screw was the cause of our client’s ongoing pain, but nothing could feasibly be done until the bone had properly healed. Unfortunately, the healing process takes at least one year from the initial surgery.

As soon as our client’s bone healed, she had a second surgery to remove the hardware. The second surgery was a complete success, and our client was immediately pain-free. She remains pain-free and has no limitations.

The Baer Law Firm resolved her claim for $1.35 million without filing suit against the young driver’s insurance company.

Bryan Baer

Attorney Bryan Baer has twenty (20) years of legal experience representing clients in serious and catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice cases. He has been first chair in more than a dozen twelve-person jury trials on both the plaintiff and defense sides. Recognized as a leader in his legal community, he is frequently asked to speak at legal seminars on trial topics ranging from “Best Practices in Voire Dire” to “Maximizing Damages at Trial” as well as insurance issues such as “Navigating the Insurance Landscape” and “Injury Demands & Negotiations.” Learn more here.