We recently had the pleasure of representing a gentleman who was injured when he was bitten on the hand while working on a home renovation project at a client’s home. He sustained an injury to his pinky finger that caused him pain, soreness, and various physical limitations. Missouri’s dog bite statute holds property owners strictly liable for injuries caused by dog bite incidents. However, this particular homeowner was insured by an out-of-town insurance company who did not understand Missouri law on the issue and originally denied our client’s claim.
We filed suit, obtained critical legal admissions from the dog’s owners, and then elicited testimony from our client’s treating hand doctor who confirmed that our client’s symptoms would continue to bother him indefinitely and that surgical repair was not a realistic option. The court ordered the parties to mediate the case and that was not successful because the insurance company’s top offer was $30,000. We left the mediation and told the insurance company to prepare for trial. It was at that point that they finally got serious, and we were ultimately able to get the case resolved for $250,000.
What changed in the case to justify the insurance company making a huge jump in their settlement offer? Posture. We showed the insurance company that we were willing to walk away from mediation and take the case to trial. We believed in our evaluation of the case and what was fair for our client. We held strong to our number of $250,000 to settle the case. That is what the client wanted and deserved.
The choice of a personal injury lawyer is important and there is a big difference in personal injury lawyers and law firms. You want a law firm that regularly takes cases to trial. Trials are the only way to hold insurance companies accountable. Sumner Law Group has earned its reputation as a top litigation firm in St. Louis because we try cases and insurance companies are scared of us.
If you were injured through no fault of your own, schedule your free consultation today. Contact us online to get started!
We recently successfully argued to a trial court in McLean County, Illinois, that our client should be entitled to $7 million in bodily injury limits because there were seven different truck/trailers covered by the policy. Read more about the case here.
A local restaurant owner was injured in a multi-car crash in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. We were able to secure the policy limits from the insurance carrier for the at-fault driver. Our client had significant injuries requiring treatment that spanned over multiple years which made traveling to Thailand to visit family difficult and painful. Given the losses suffered from our client, we explored her underinsured motorist coverage and discovered a large policy through her restaurant ownership. We invited her insurance carrier to intervene into the local civil lawsuit and participate in the litigation. At mediation, we produced reports from our client’s treating physicians clearly outlining her injuries and expected additional treatment. Our client’s underinsurance carrier ultimately agreed to pay an additional $650,000 to resolve her claim.
Last summer, our client was traveling on Kingshighway in St. Louis City, Missouri, when a driver carelessly reversed his vehicle into the front passenger side of her vehicle. The at-fault driver tried to leave the scene but our client exited her vehicle and directed him to stay. As a result of the impact, she suffered injuries to her neck and left shoulder which caused her to present to a local pain management specialist and a chiropractor for treatment. Even though our client was retired at the time of the crash and therefore, suffered no lost wages and also had pre-existing injuries to her neck, we were able to secure the at-fault policy limits for her.
In 2019, our client was severely injured when a truck started a U-turn on a busy road in St. Louis City, Missouri. While our client was safely operating his Harley Davidson motorcycle, he was unable to stop before striking the truck which was situated in the middle of the roadway. Thankfully, a local convenience store captured the incident on surveillance video. Due to the severity of the impact and his resulting concussion, our client was unable to recall the crash itself nor was he able to remember much of the treatment he received in the weeks following the crash. In addition to his head injury, our client suffered numerous other internal injuries and fractured bones requiring him to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for some time. While there were some facts associated with the case that may have been viewed negatively by a jury at trial, we successfully developed the evidence in a way that forced the defense to want to settle the case. Ultimately, the insurance company for the truck driver and his employer paid $900,000 to resolve the case.
Our client was a passenger on a Cape County Transit Authority bus which was rear-ended at a stop sign by a Southeast Missouri University (SEMO) painter driving a cargo van. The SEMO employee admitted fault at the scene of the crash but then during his deposition, attempted to shift blame to the bus driver. We were able to use his statements immediately following the impact and the statements of the investigating police officer to build a solid case of liability.
Despite the SEMO employee claiming the impact was simply a “bump”, we developed evidence showing the property damage to both vehicles, which were quite heavy, was moderate. Our client suffered disc herniations requiring injections for several years. Although the defense tried to argue that our client must not have been too injured as he was able to continue his preaching duties at his church and go on road trips with his wife, we secured the opinions from his treating physicians and were able to demonstrate that our client was merely trying to move on with his life, despite his injuries. Ultimately, the defense agreed to pay our client $140,000 for what he suffered as a result of the crash.
While traveling westbound on I-44, our client encountered a military vehicle parked on the highway, blocking the lane of travel. To avoid impact, our client swerved to the left lane and slowed down, at which time he was rear-ended by a vehicle traveling in the fast lane who did not appreciate that traffic was stopped due to the military vehicle. Our client, right before impact, could see the driver behind him looking to the right, distracted by the military vehicles parked on the roadway.
Our client presented to the emergency room for neck, back, and head pain. He followed up with pain management and was subsequently diagnosed with several disc injuries in his low back, which eventually required surgery. We secured the policy limits from the at-fault driver which, unfortunately, were only $50,000. We then worked with our client’s medical providers to reduce his medical bills so that he could pocket some money as a result of this serious crash. This case is a great example of why it is so important for everyone to secure Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage so that you can be protected in situations like this where the at-fault driver is not carrying much insurance at the time of the crash.
Our client was a passenger injured in a 2020 East St. Louis crash at an intersection. The driver and another passenger were also injured in the crash. For more than three years, the insurance company for the negligent driver argued that our client was not a passenger but was driving on an invalid license at the time of the crash. The insurance company further argued that its insured was not responsible for the crash and that our client was not injured as a result of the impact. The at-fault driver attempted to claim that there were witnesses to the crash even though those witnesses did not speak to the police officer. Our client had pre-existing spinal injuries that required surgery even prior to this crash. We filed suit on behalf of our client, investigated the at-fault driver, took her deposition under oath, and also deposed the other parties in the vehicle. Through litigation, we were able to secure a settlement for our client to help him with his incurred medical bills and pain and suffering.
A St. Louis City woman was injured in a crash by a driver who left the scene after impact. The at-fault driver ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed and struck our client’s vehicle. While police were in the area at the time of the crash and followed the vehicle in an attempt to stop the driver and issue a citation, the police had to halt the pursuit. Because the other driver could not be found, we filed an uninsured motorist (UM) claim with our client’s insurance carrier. Prior to the crash, our client was already on disability as a result of various medical conditions, including a pain disorder. Also, our client did not seek medical treatment for some time after the crash because she was fearful of COVID at the time. Despite these hurdles, we were able to secure the uninsured motorist limits of $25,000 for our client.
Our client was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of Warson Road and Conway Road in St. Louis County, Missouri when she was rear-ended by a driver who was not paying attention. The force of the impact pushed our client’s vehicle into the vehicle in front of her. After some investigation, we discovered that this at-fault driver was recently sued as a result of a separate car crash where he rear-ended another individual. Our client struck her face on the steering wheel at the time of impact causing a nose fracture. She also suffered pain in her neck and back for which she received treatment from a physical therapist. Thankfully, her nose healed without incident and the therapy greatly improved the pain in her neck and back. After she finished treating, we were able to recover $36,000 for her which easily covered her little medical treatment.
