After our client’s car accident, the insurance company refused to even pay the at-fault driver’s policy limits to cover our client’s medical bills. When the insurance company low-balls a claim, our firm goes high and car accident attorneys and leaders of the firm’s trial team Matt Grossman and Frank Fratello stepped in to take the case to trial.
Putting the facts straight in front of the jury, our client walked out of the courtroom victorious—with a major case win valued at more than $800,000. We sat down with Matt and Frank to get the insider’s perspective on how it all unfolded.
An Overheated Engine Turned Into an Emergency
Our client’s story began as he was driving north one night on I-95 in Jacksonville. When his vehicle overheated, he pulled off onto the side of the road and popped the hood to see what happened.
In an instant, another driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel plowed straight into our client’s disabled vehicle. That collision was so intense, it would catapult him all the way into a wooded area nearby. He was immediately rushed to the ER and suffered a painful road rash on his arms and legs from the event.
With tens of thousands in medical bills, you might imagine the at-fault driver’s car insurance coverage would step in to pay at least the medical bills our client was forced to incur. Sadly, the insurer refused to even offer our client the minimum available policy amount, which is why he turned to our experienced legal team at Farah & Farah.
The Insurance Company Didn’t Want to Pay 50k, But Paid Much More in the End
When a case first comes to Farah & Farah, it goes to our pre-suit team, which is before a case heads to trial. Experienced accident attorney Tiffany Newcomb led the pre-suit team and immediately went to work putting all of the pieces together.
When Farah & Farah takes a case, our entire team comes together and we collaborate to use every resource we have available. This approach leverages the strength and unique expertise of the entire firm and helps to make a strong case from the very beginning. That way, if the case needs to go to trial, our litigation team already has everything they need to pick up the ball and run with it.
Even though Tiffany gave the insurance company ample opportunities to do the right thing and pay a fair amount for our client’s injuries, they refused, so we filed suit and prepared for trial.
Cutting Through the Obviously False Defense in Court
When you’ve been in the legal practice as long as we have, you’ll have seen countless ways the insurance carrier tries to get out of paying for a claim. One of the defenses they tried to use in this case was that our client had run back to his car after being hurled and that’s actually when the injury occurred. The facts just didn’t support this claim and our team overcame this obstacle to keep the case moving forward.
The Human Costs of a Car Accident
After the accident, our client had severe scarring across his arms and legs from being catapulted into the woods. That scarring was a crucial part of the case because a jury got to consider the question of just how much permanent damage to your body is worth.
Our firm always looks at what we call “human costs” in a case. Despite what the insurance company says, these costs are very real and they are something we can fight for in court.
The Final Victory for Our Client
Even with all the scarring, medical bills, testimonies, and other facts of the case, the insurance carrier fought our team throughout the trial. They tried to argue that the scarring wasn’t disfiguring since it wasn’t on our client’s face and wasn’t as visible when he was wearing clothes.
However, what they didn’t consider was how the scars made our client feel. He didn’t ask to have these wounds and he’d done nothing wrong, and yet he would live with them for the rest of his life. That’s why our team fought so hard and let the jury see just how much this accident had taken away.
In the end, it was a jury of complete strangers that looked at both sides’ arguments and came back with a decision in favor of our client valued at more than $800,200.74.
It Takes a Team to Win; Put Ours To Work for You
Farah & Farah’s pre-suit and litigation teams work seamlessly together to build a rock-solid case for our clients. That team includes attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and more all working together to get the best results possible.
When you’ve been in a car accident and you just don’t feel right about what insurance is telling you, you can contact our attorneys at any time. Our highly experienced legal team will look over the details and help see what options are available.
