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The Gold Law Firm achieved a substantial settlement for a young mother who was seriously injured in a T-bone collision after firing a large local firm that had encouraged her to accept an inadequate offer.
Case Overview
Our client, a single mother of two and professional ballet dancer, was traveling on Walnut Grove Road in Memphis when an elderly driver attempted to enter traffic from Perkins Extended without a traffic signal. The elderly driver pulled directly into oncoming traffic, leaving our client no time to avoid the collision. Our client’s vehicle struck the passenger side of the defendant’s vehicle at approximately 40 miles per hour, causing massive damage to both vehicles.
Injuries and Treatment
The impact knocked our client unconscious. She was transported to Regional One Hospital where she incurred approximately $50,000 in medical expenses. Her injuries included:
- Severe back injuries requiring extensive treatment
- 12 weeks of physical therapy that failed to eliminate her pain
- Multiple nerve block procedures
- Ultimately requiring back surgery to reduce pain levels
- Ongoing residual pain even after surgical intervention
Defense Arguments and Challenges
The defense raised multiple arguments attempting to minimize liability and damages:
- Professional Activity Argument: Claimed that because our client continued teaching and performing ballet during recovery, she must not have been seriously injured
- Pre-Existing Condition Claims: Alleged that years of ballet caused her back problems, despite zero evidence of any pre-existing back issues
- Comparative Fault: Argued our client should have been able to avoid the collision
Critical Discovery During Mediation
At the first mediation, a significant ethical issue came to light: the defense attorney had failed to inform his own client about our settlement offer. When we explained directly to the elderly defendant that we had made a reasonable settlement offer, she was understandably concerned about why her attorney had concealed this information from her. She immediately requested that her insurance company replace the dishonest attorney with ethical counsel.
Resolution
After the defendant retained new, honest legal representation, negotiations proceeded professionally and the case settled for $235,000. Our client received over $100,000 after attorney fees and medical expenses were paid.
Significance
This case demonstrates several important principles:
- Professional athletes and performers can still be seriously injured: Continuing to work through pain does not diminish the severity of injuries
- Pre-existing condition defenses require evidence: Speculation about years of activity causing injuries is insufficient without medical documentation
- Ethical representation matters: When defense counsel concealed settlement offers from their own client, it ultimately harmed their defense
- Second opinions on representation are valuable: Our client’s decision to leave a firm pushing a lowball settlement resulted in substantially better compensation
The Gold Law Firm Commitment
This case reinforces our dedication to:
- Fighting for full value: Rejecting inadequate settlement offers
- Thorough medical documentation: Proving the true extent and cause of injuries
- Ethical advocacy: Ensuring all parties are fully informed
- Client empowerment: Supporting clients who recognize they deserve better representation
Note: This case summary has been anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Each case is unique, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
