Alex was a 32-year-old man with a family, including 3 young sons. One rainy Thursday morning he was driving his Corolla down Harrison Ave. (Dog Pound Road) in Covington toward Highway 190. He was heading to the second day of his new job at an auto-parts store.
The car in front of Alex came to a stop, waiting to make a left turn. Alex stopped as well. Just then he heard tires screech behind him and just as he turned in his seat to look, he felt the full impact of the Ford F250 plowing into his car. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the F250 was towing a large trailer full of heavy equipment, including an excavator.
Alex was checked out by EMS at the accident scene and reported pain in his right shoulder and neck. However, he didn’t have the time to go to the hospital, especially as he had just started his new job. For a week afterward, Alex tried to dull his pain with home remedies, including ice packs and ibuprofen. But when the pain didn’t go away, Alex went to a chiropractor for help. Following conservative therapy, MRIs were ordered, and it was discovered that Alex had suffered several tears in his right shoulder as well as a disc herniation in his neck.
For the next several months Alex worked with an orthopedist and pain management expert. To relieve pain in his neck, Alex received epidural steroid injections followed by radiofrequency ablations (also known as rhizotomies). While these procedures helped to relieve pain in his neck, Alex still suffered almost constant pain in his right shoulder.
Alex’s right shoulder injury caused almost constant pain, shooting from his shoulder blade to his fingers. He couldn’t carry a jug of milk, get on the floor with his 3-year-old, or even hug his wife without pain. Alex tried putting off shoulder surgery for as long as possible because he simply couldn’t afford to be out of work while he recovered. He tried more therapy and even injections in his shoulder, but they didn’t work. Finally, the pain was so great that he had no other choice but surgery.
Alex had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder about 7 months after the wreck. After surgery, he rehabbed his shoulder for several months and was able to regain his strength and range of motion. Best of all, he was able to sleep again without pain.
The at-fault driver who was driving the F250 that hit Alex was working for a utility company at the time of the accident. He had also been pulling a large trailer with heavy equipment on it, causing a much stronger impact. Alex’s Corolla didn’t stand a chance.
The commercial insurance company for the truck that caused the accident gave Alex the run-around. They took Alex’s statement but refused to give him any other information or answer his questions about doctor bills, medical treatment, and missed work. To make matters worse, they nickeled-and-dimed him on his claim for the total loss of his car.
Alex hired Flattmann Law to represent him. It was clear that the insurance company wasn’t going to get serious, so we were forced to file a lawsuit. Through the discovery process, we found that the at-fault driver had caused an almost identical accident only two months after Alex’s accident and his company driving privileges had finally been taken away.
We were also able to obtain the company’s “safe driving” rules, which clearly required their drivers to maintain a certain distance from vehicles in front of them, especially when conditions were wet and slippery. During the driver’s deposition, it became clear that he was not aware of his own company’s safety rules, and didn’t know how to maintain a proper distance while driving work trucks.
The commercial insurance company’s lawyers did everything they could to delay the litigation process. They even tried to blame other factors for the wreck, alleging that Alex or the car in front of him “stopped short.” We were able to prove that these allegations were not true.
During the course of preparing for trial, the insurance company asked us for a settlement demand. After significant negotiation, including mediation, we were able to reach a settlement for $340,000 to compensate Alex for his harms and losses.
With the settlement, Alex was able to pay off his medical expenses, catch up with other bills, and refocus on being the husband and father he wanted to be.
Have You Been Injured In A Car Accident In St. Tammany And Just Want To Be Treated Fairly?
At Flattmann Law, we represent hard-working people in St. Tammany and its surrounding areas who just want to be treated fairly. If you have been injured in a car accident and have questions about how we can help, contact us online or call our Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. Flattmann Law serves clients on the Northshore, including Covington, Mandeville, Abita Springs, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Folsom, Madisonville, Goodbee, Hammond, Lacombe, Pearl River, and Slidell.