A car accident can leave you with serious injuries that can take a significant amount of pain, time and money in order to successfully recover. Some car accident victims never recover from their injuries. When a wreck is caused by another negligent driver, then compensation may be recoverable for these damages. However, getting compensation often requires expert legal skills. While many may think that means taking a case to trial, and it certainly could, there are other methods of obtaining the compensation to which a victim may be entitled.
One recently settled Connecticut case serves as a great example. There, a woman was injured after the van she was driving was rear-ended. As a result of the crash, the victim had to have lumbar spinal fusion surgery and her back issues continue to plague her. The lawsuit claimed that the accident was caused by the defendant’s speed and close proximity to the vehicle he was following, indicating that he was thereby liable for damages suffered by the victim. One complication in the case was that the victim had pre-existing back injuries and was in a motorcycle accident after the rear-end collision in this case.
However, the parties went to mediation and were able to reach an agreement. The defendant agreed to pay $385,000 in damages. One reason may have been that the doctor who performed the lumbar spinal fusion surgery indicated that the operation’s need was directly caused by the accident.
Mediation, a process by which a neutral third party mediator attempts to help parties reach an agreement without going to trial, can be extremely beneficial. It can be quicker and less contentious than full-blown litigation. To learn more about mediation and whether or not it may be a helpful option, Connecticut car accident victims should think about speaking with a personal injury attorney.
Source: Connecticut Law Tribune, “Woman Injured in Car Accident Gets $385,000 After Mediation,” Robert Storace, Jan. 11, 2017
