On August 25, 2014 our client was on US-101 Northbound 70 feet South of Rengstorff Avenue in Unincorporated Palo Alto, CA. Our client was obeying the rules of the road, driving his 2012 Nissan Altima when another driver hit our client causing a serious car accident. The accident resulted in a loss of work, serious injuries and large medical bills leaving our client in a difficult situation.
About The Accident
This was a four-vehicle accident that resulted in serious injuries for our client due to the major negligence of one driver and the minor negligence of another driver. The primary driver who caused the accident was driving a 1993 Toyota Corolla and was insured with Western United Insurance.
The other driver who was partly at fault was driving a 2007 Honda Civic. Our client was totally without fault.
There were no adverse road conditions and the accident happened when the drivers left their lane and entered our client’s lane.
The party primarily responsible for the accident had a flat tire while driving on the freeway. Her insurance company, California State Automobile Insurance Company (CSAA), took the position that anyone can have a flat tire at any time and there should be no reason that her flat tire was due to any negligence on her part. We pointed out that under California Law a person is required to keep their vehicle in a safe running condition. The tires on this vehicle were not in a safe running condition. We also pointed out that the person driving the car with the flat tire came to a complete stop on a 65-mph freeway right in the middle of the freeway, rather than safely pulling over to the shoulder. When she pulled over in the middle of the freeway, the car behind her jammed on its brakes, lost control and smashed in to our client’s car.
Even though both insurance companies attempted to point the finger at each other, we were able to convince them prior to trial that they both had to pay their insurance policy limits.
Our client was transported via ambulance company, Rural Metro, to Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, CA with three fractures to his right ankle. Two surgeries were required.
Case Details
Our client needed ongoing medical treatment after being out of Stanford. He also missed a significant amount of work and had large medical bills in this accident. Based on this information our client’s wife reached out to GJEL Accident Attorneys to see if her husband was entitled to compensation and to have her questions answered. She wanted to know:
- Who was responsible for his medical bills?
- How will I pay for these bills and lost work?
- What if he has lifelong damage to his body?
The staff at GJEL Accident Attorneys were able to quickly evaluate the case over the phone and send an investigator to meet her at Stanford Hospital. Attorney Andrew Gillin helped our client though this difficult time and ultimately was able to settle this case without the need for a jury trial. Both insurance carriers eventually paid their policy limits of $100,000 each. In the end our client was awarded $200,000 for this accident by Western United Insurance and CSAA after aggressive representation.
Case Facts:
| Insurance Company Names: | Western United InsuranceCSAA |
| Location of Accident: GPS Coordinates & Map (Casey provides) | |
| Police Report | Santa Clara CHP |
| Vehicle Types | 1993 Toyota Corolla2007 Honda Civic
2012 Nissan Altima |
| Accident Locations: | US-101 Northbound 70 feet South of Rengstorff Avenue in Unincorporated Palo Alto, CA |
| Hospitals and Medical Centers Visited | Rural Metro AmbulanceStanford Hospital |
| Types of Injuries (Specific as possible) | Fractured right ankle with two surgeries |
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.