$355,000 – Whatcom County Pedestrian Collision with Broken Ankle
A large pickup truck struck Lolita as she and her husband walked across a Bellingham-area casino parking lot to their car. Lolita was badly hurt with fractures in both ankles and her husband was also shaken up. The driver of the pickup was a young woman who admitted the collision was her fault and her insurance company eventually paid a policy limits settlement.
Bill Coats made an additional claim against Lolita’s own insurance company for underinsured motorist protection. This insurance kicks in if the at-fault driver does not have enough insurance to pay all of the damages. Bill successfully argued that Lolita’s husband should be compensated for the trauma of witnessing his wife’s injury. Washington law allows this claim when the person who witnesses the injury is a closely related to the injured person. Bill recovered $355,000 for the Bellingham couple.
Increasingly there is neuroscientific and psychological evidence that supports the intuitive concept that not all scars are visible. If it feels like you’ve been the victim of someone else’s negligent action, or have been facing a difficult recovery of your own from a loved one’s pain, Contact Bill for a free consultation about your case. For more information about his approach, visit the Practice Areas page on pedestrian accidents.
Amount: $355,000