Survivor of Nasty Rear-End Collision Wins $1.5 Million in Settlement
By Space Coast Daily // August 26, 2022
Almost four years ago, a collision on a Valeo, CA freeway nearly took a man’s life, leaving him with lifelong injuries. As of August 2022, he has recovered a whopping $1.5 million from the litigation.
The victim drove down freeway 80 on September 4th, 2018, when the crash occurred. As traffic slowly came down to a stop, so did he. He reasonably assumed that the drivers behind him would follow his lead. Unfortunately for him, one car failed to break, and approached him at an aggressive speed.
The defendant swerved into the left shoulder, failed to merge, and rear-ended the victim’s vehicle. The aggressiveness of the impact caused the victim’s car to collide with the vehicle in front of it, involving a total of three cars in the crash.
With severe injuries affecting the victim’s spine, many of the collision’s repercussions are permanent. He mentioned pain in his neck, back of his head, lower back, and right shoulder. It also made parts of his right arm and hand much weaker, making them virtually unusable in day-to-day tasks.
Attorney Ani Megerdichian, with JT legal group, represented the victim in the litigation process. The case successfully obtained a settlement of $1.5 million— winnings that can cover the long-term expenses and extensive surgeries the victim requires to get on with his life.
The money can also help cover the psychological pain endured and fill in for other parts of the victim’s life neglected due to the traumatic incident.
Despite winning such a large settlement, the victim can’t ever fully close the book on the incident. The surgeries required to treat the victim’s injuries include:
■ An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.
■ Lap band surgery.
■ An Anterior lumbar discectomy and fusion.
Now with a permanent plate in his neck, the surgeries will not fully repair the damage to his range of motion.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 500,000 accidents like this happen yearly, with 87% caused by distracted drivers. While this story arguably had a happy ending, and the victim got economic justice, many like him might be out of luck. 1,700 of them end up dead.
While economic justice is only one part of the recovery process, it can significantly help everyone involved. Victims (or prospective victims) of extensive personal injuries as seen in this case should be aware of the resources available to them when seeking a settlement.
