Catastrophic Injuries – $1M

This personal injury action arises out of a tractor-trailer accident that occurred in November 2008.  Ms. Doe was working as a self-employed pilot/escort car driver.  Her job was to escort tractor trailers carrying oversized loads as they travelled on the interstate.  The tractor trailer that Ms. Doe was escorting arrived at its final destination.  After the tractor trailer was unloaded, the driver attempted to prepare his trailer for the return trip.  In the process of preparing his trailer, the driver failed to set his parking brake.  As a result, the tractor and trailer began to roll backwards and rolled over Ms. Doe while she was standing nearby.

Ms. Doe suffered catastrophic injuries including a degloving injury of the right side of her face, the right upper chest and right arm, fractures of the right forearm, multiple loose or missing teeth, retro-orbital hemorrhage, fracture of the right nasal bone, and trauma to her right eye.

She was stabilized by members of the worksite crew and was transported by Medflight to a local hospital where she remained for six weeks.  Ms. Doe underwent numerous surgeries to clean, debride, and repair her injuries.  In total, Ms. Doe underwent over 10 different surgical procedures.

Ms. Doe also suffered severe emotional trauma as a result of the accident. She has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.  She also experiences chronic pain and physical limitations due to her traumatic injuries.

Insurance coverage was limited to $1 million.  A lawsuit was filed to explore the defendants’ assets and the possibility of additional coverage.  After a thorough investigation that included consultation with separate bankruptcy and insurance coverage attorneys, the case was resolved for $1 million.  A portion of the settlement proceeds were structured.