$1,624,000 Settlement for Motor Vehicle Accident

John Molinari represented a 47-year-old woman stopped at a red light on Mount Airy Road in Basking Ridge when she was struck in the rear by the defendant. Photographs of the plaintiff’s car revealed minimal damage. Plaintiff had been rehabilitating from a prior unrelated cervical fusion at the time. She aggravated that injury, resulting in cervical fusion at the time. The plaintiff had been rehabilitating from a prior unrelated cervical fusion at the time. She aggravated that injury resulting in cervical herniations, which required five cervical surgeries: laminectomy, spinal fusion, nerve blocks, hardware removal, and scar revision. Her multiple surgeries exhausted all her PIP benefits, leaving her with outstanding balances with many of her medical providers. It also left her unable to return to work, and the plaintiff’s economist calculated that the economic loss over her lifetime due to her injuries would be $1,367,949.00. The defense hired a biomechanical engineer who opined that such a light impact could not have caused such severe injuries.

The defendant had limited liability coverage, which resulted in an underinsured lawsuit. The driver offered their $500,000 in coverage, and an additional $1,124,000 was recovered from the UIM carrier, bringing the total recovery to $1,624,000. The case settled just before the trial date.