$1,110,000 Settlement – Wrongful Death Auto Accident

On an icy morning in January, our client offered to drive his wife to work due to inclement weather conditions that had begun overnight. The loving couple bundled up and left early allowing plenty of time for slow travel into work. Our client and his wife were traveling westbound on US Route 6 in Wood County, Ohio when man driving a truck eastbound on US Route 6 failed to maintain control of his vehicle and crossed the center line. He struck the vehicle that our client and his wife were traveling in, forcing the vehicle into a guardrail. Once the vehicle came to rest our client checked on his wife, then exited the vehicle to assess the damage. Due to heavy front-end damage, our client was unable to get his wife from the vehicle and had to wait until help arrived. Responding Sherriff deputies put our client into the back of their cruiser to assess whether medical attention was needed. While in the back of the car, our client was informed that his wife of nearly twenty years succumbed to internal injuries and passed away. Our client was in shock and left to deal with the guilt that he left his wife to die alone and cold, trapped in a mangled vehicle.

Our client was transported to Wood County Hospital where he was treated for injuries including a sprain of both ankles, swelling to his knees and cuts to his hand. After he left the hospital, he needed an additional five weeks of assistance from Home Health Care. Our client saw an orthopedic doctor for treatment to his ankles, knees and hand. He then began a long road of occupational and physical therapy.

After all the treatment, our client still experienced physical discomfort, however the worst pain he experienced was the heartbreak from losing his loving wife. He was quoted saying, “I know nothing in this world can bring her back, so I have to live with the mental anguish of living my life without her and her smile and kisses and hugs. I have lost my most precious gift.” Although no amount of money can replace a lost life, our office fought hard to get our client just compensation.

The at-fault driver of the truck had liability insurance that had a limit of $50,000.00 in coverage. Luckily, our client had made the smart decision to carry umbrella coverage with his own insurer. By pursuing claims against not only the at-fault driver but also our client’s own insurer we were able to obtain an additional $1 million dollars in coverage. The total amount recovered was $1,050,000.00 for the wrongful death of the client’s deceased wife, and $60,0000.00 directly to our client for his own personal injuries sustained in the collision