Red-Light Crash Victim Declines Lowball Settlement, Wins $4.8M at Trial

A woman in her mid-thirties who suffered a serious back injury after being T-boned by another driver has been awarded more than $4.8 million by a Los Angeles jury – after an insurance company tried to offer her a fraction of the amount.

The woman was T-boned in 2020 by another driver who failed to stop at a red light in Lancaster, California, PARRIS Law Firm said in a March 4 press release.

The next day, she went to urgent care complaining of neck and arm pain, the firm said. A week later, her lower back began to hurt with pain going into her left leg. “The pain in her neck and arm resolved, but the pain in her lower back never did,” the firm said.

Victim unable to work after red-light crash

The injury affected the woman so badly she had to leave her job at a profession she loved for more than eight years, her attorneys at PARRIS Law Firm said. Before the crash, she was an active woman who was passionate about her work. But the crash left her with daily lower back pain, they said.

Despite the injury, and despite the fact the defense admitted liability for the crash, they never took responsibility for the impact the crash had on her, the jury heard at trial.

Rather, during the trial, the defense claimed that the only injury the plaintiff suffered in the crash was a sprain or strain of her lower back, and that any continuing problems were due to her “pre-existing degenerative condition.” 

Insurance company offers a pittance to settle claims

Prior to trial, her attorneys said the most the defendant's insurance carrier, Infinity Insurance, ever offered to try and settle the case for was $3,300. 

"The jury saw the plaintiff, saw who she was before, saw who she is now, and saw through the defense arguments," said PARRIS Law Firm partner Jason P. Fowler. 

"The jury recognized the impact the collision has had on her and returned a verdict that resoundingly repudiated the defense's ridiculous claims.” 

Jury gives multi-million dollar award

The jury reached its multi-million verdict after hearing the trial play out over two weeks. In that time, the defense called several experts, however the jury landed in favor of a large financial award for the plaintiff.

"The jury in this case clearly understood that our client's injuries, and pain, were the direct result of being T-boned by the defendant," said PARRIS Law Firm attorney Ryan K. Kahl. 

"They've helped our client obtain justice and given her the means to pay for the medical care she will require for the rest of her life." 

The news comes after another plaintiff was awarded a $120 million jury verdict after a T-bone-style rollover crash in Lancaster, California in 2021. In that case, the plaintiff was left with ruptured discs throughout his spine, requiring multiple procedures and surgeries, as well as a traumatic brain injury.

If you or a loved one have experienced a similar ordeal, don't let injustice prevail. Every case is unique, and you deserve fair compensation for your losses.

Wondering what your case could be worth? Compensation typically covers actual losses like medical expenses and emotional suffering, with punitive damages aimed at deterring reckless behavior.

Fill out the form here for a complimentary review of your case; you may be entitled to rightful compensation.