Reversing a settlement

As can sometimes be the case, Claudia A. came into our office with a big problem: a few days after her car accident in Richland, Washington, the insurance company for the at-fault driver convinced her to take a low-ball settlement saying that they would pay her about $1,000 for her trouble.

Unfortunately for Claudia, her injuries were worse than she had anticipated and she ended up receiving months of chiropractic treatment and physical therapy, finishing long after she signed the settlement agreement.

Luckily for her, Michael Quillen and the Anderson Law team felt confident litigating her claim and presenting her case to a jury. The reality is, insurance companies have the responsibility to advise people injured by their insureds to consult with an attorney before signing a settlement agreement. You could say that even liability insurers have a certain duty of good faith toward the general public and tort victims. Because of a lawsuit and many hours of strong lawyering, we were able to secure a settlement that paid off all of her additional medical bills and left her with substantially more than she started with.

Motorcycle drivers beware

The odds were stacked against Jon B. when he came into our office. That seems to usually be the case with motorcyclists who will tell you “It’s not if, but when someone will cut you off.” The driver of a motor vehicle in Benton County wasn’t looking and pulled out in front of Jon’s motorcycle, causing him to crash and fly into the air and onto the ground. His injuries, though not life threatening, were serious and there wasn’t enough insurance.

But that didn’t stop Jon or Anderson Law, who helped Jon get medical coverage that’s normally not available to motorcyclists and highlighted the importance of having a good motorcycle accident lawyer. At the end of the day, Jon was able to get the treatment he needed and an insurance settlement that exceeded his expectations.

What’s the value of a life?

Often, we are given the terrible responsibility of trying to put a value on someone’s life. With A.G., specifically, we needed to show how his life had been impacted by the loss of his life partner and wife of more than 50 years. To do this, friends and family across the state were interviewed in person. The losses of each adult child were carefully detailed. A decades-long love story was told. The tremendous impact on his quality of life was explained. And an additional insurance policy needed to be uncovered.

Because a claim for wrongful death is not only about the final minutes of the life of an individual; and it’s not limited to their obvious losses. Sure, that is an integral part of the claim, but such a claim is not complete without a full understanding of the emptiness caused by a life leaving this world sooner than it should. Imagine what such a loss would mean to you and your family. And imagine feeling like justice was served. That was our experience with A.G.