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Verdicts and Settlements

$1.75 Million Settlement - Wrongful Death

$1.75 Million for the family of a woman killed in an accident on Interstate 80

In this case, GJEL represented the husband and adult children of a 52-year old woman killed in an accident on Interstate 80. The woman was a passenger in a car driven by her husband when they were rear-ended by a large pickup truck.

The defendant in this case was the employer of the truck's driver. The defendant argued that our client, the woman's husband, was responsible in large part for the death of his wife because he had turned the car's wheels to the right and may was starting an unsafe lane change at the moment of impact. The defendant further contended that this action caused our client's Chevy Blazer to move at a right angle, across traffic, where it was broadsided by another car. In the defendant's opinion, had our client had his wheels straight when he was struck, it would have been "nothing more than a minor accident."

GJEL deposed all of the available witnesses, including the two California Highway Patrol officers who were responsible for investigating the accident. We also worked with the CHP officer who had originally developed, and then trained CHP officers in the use of, the advanced techniques used by the CHP to investigate complex motor vehicle accidents. Largely due to the testimony of this expert, we were able to establish that our client's car was stopped at the moment of impact, that the actions of our client were not negligent. Futhermore, we established that the physical evidence indicated that it was the severity of the rear-end impact by the defendant's truck that generated the force and vehicle direction which resulted in the fatal accident.

SETTLEMENT:The case was settled before trial for $1,750,000.