In this accident case, our client was driving his car and stopped for a red light when he was suddenly rear-ended at high speed by another driver who had a lapse in attention. The collision caused our client to suffer from shoulder and neck pain, which required significant physical therapy and caused him to miss a considerable amount of work, resulting in large medical bills.
Our firm was able to help our client by conducting a full investigation and ultimately settling the case with the at-fault party’s insurance company, providing our client with the compensation he deserved for his pain and suffering. We understand the difficulties that our client faced and are grateful that we were able to help him get his life back on track.
Accident Overview
On June 7, 2013, at 11:05 p.m., on Laurel Ave. at its intersection with Brown Ave. in Oakley, California, our client was driving his 1991 Honda Accord and was stopped for a red light. He was suddenly struck from behind at high speed by a man driving a similar Honda Sedan.
About the Accident
There were no adverse road conditions and the accident happened when the driver who rear-ended our client had a lapse in attention.
After the accident, our client had shoulder pain and neck pain as a direct result of the accident. There was no emergency room or ambulance, and the day after the accident our client went to his primary care physician who referred him for physical therapy and an MRI of his shoulder.
The driver of the car that caused the accident was insured with Geico while our client was insured with Mercury Insurance.
Case Facts
Our client’s ongoing medical condition required a significant amount of physical therapy. Initially, Geico insurance questioned whether all of our client’s injuries were caused by the accident or whether many were caused by pre-existing sports injuries.
Our client missed a significant amount of work and was charged up large medical bills from this accident. Based on this information he reached out to GJEL Accident Attorneys to see if he was entitled to compensation and to have his questions answered. He wanted to know:
- Who is responsible for my medical bills?
- How will I pay these bills and the loss of work?
- What if I have permanent lifelong damage to my body?
The staff at GJEL were able to quickly evaluate the case over the phone and invited the client to come to our office.
Based on the serious injuries from this rear-end collision and the mounting medical bills, our client decided to retain GJEL Accident Attorneys to help get his life back on track after this tragic accident.
The staff at GJEL started a full investigation which began with getting the police report. The police report showed that the other driver was 100% at fault and responsible for the accident.
At first, the party at fault’s insurance company, Geico, was not taking full responsibility for the damages caused by the wrongdoer and offered what our firm considered was not the true value of this case. As the firm continued to collect the evidence and report the treatment to the insurance company, they changed their mind before GJEL has to file a lawsuit.
Attorney Jim Larsen helped our client through this difficult time and ultimately was able to settle this case without litigation. This case took two years to settle without having to go to trial. In the end, our client was awarded $100,000 for this accident by Geico insurance company after aggressive representation.
| Insurance Company Names: | Geico Insurance, Mercury |
| Police Report | None |
| Vehicle Types | 1991 Honda Accord, Honda Sedan (no other detailed info available) |
| Accident Locations: | Laurel Avenue at Brown in Oakley, California |
| Hospitals and Medical Centers Visited | Hamid Khonsari, M.D (PCP), Antioch Physical Therapy |
| Types of Injuries (Specific as possible) | Left shoulder and rotator cuff tear, cervical pain |
Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Since 1972 he has been helping seriously injured victims throughout northern California fight & win their personal injury cases. Andy is one of the top awarded & recognized wrongful death lawyers in northern California.