Attorney Michael Sheldon from our office recently secured a $100K policy limits settlement for our client, Martin, who was injured in a car accident. Martin was driving south on Halls Ferry Road in Jennings, Missouri when another driver negligently attempted to turn left, directly in Martin’s path.
The other driver forcefully struck the front-driver side of Martin’s vehicle, causing it to veer right and crash into a traffic signal support post.
Martin sustained injuries to his neck, back and left shoulder. He went to the ER and had MRIs taken of his neck and back, which revealed spinal disc bulges at multiple levels.
He was evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon, who recommended physical therapy and epidural steroid injections for his neck and back. He ultimately had numerous injections for pain management and received approximately $30K in medical treatment.
As we do for all our clients, we thoroughly investigated the insurance coverage applicable to Martin’s accident.
Even though Missouri law requires every driver to have auto insurance with minimum bodily injury liability coverage of $25K, often drivers are uninsured. Unfortunately, in this case the other driver did not have insurance.
However, we made a UM (uninsured motorist) claim with Martin’s insurer and demanded the full $100K policy limits. We also made a claim for medical payment benefits in the maximum amount of $5K.
Ultimately, we settled the case for the $100K UM policy limits plus $5K in medpay coverage, for a total settlement of $105K. The settlement covered all of Martin’s medical treatment and put over $35K in his pocket.
Martin’s case is a great example of why it is important to consult with a lawyer when you are injured in a car wreck, or otherwise. Too often, people who are injured do not realize there is insurance coverage available to pay for their damages, or they do not discover the full amount of insurance available.
When we take a case, one of the first things we do is investigate all potential avenues of insurance coverage to help ensure the best outcome for our clients.
We were happy to get the best possible settlement for Martin, and we wish him the best in the future.