Case at a glance
- Recovery: $926,588.59 Settlement
- Injury: Neck, back and hand injuries
- Practice: Truck Accidents
- Attorney: Vuk Vujasinovic
A container across his path
Bobby remembered seeing the container come into his lane with little time to react. He tried to steer right, but the front of his SUV struck it. The airbags deployed.
The truck had been carrying the container beneath the Houston Avenue bridge. In deposition, the truck driver acknowledged that the container struck the bridge. The investigating officer identified an oversized vehicle or load as the contributing factor in the crash.
Bobby’s injuries affected his neck, lower back and right hand. Treatment included injections, physical therapy and a lower-back procedure intended to address his continuing pain.
Questioning the driver about the load and the bridge
Vuk questioned the truck driver directly about the container, the bridge clearance and what had caused the collision. The driver acknowledged that the container had been higher than the bridge it struck.
When Vuk asked him to identify another cause of the incident, the driver said he was not aware of one. That testimony gave the team a concrete account of the bridge strike from the person operating the truck.
The team also obtained testimony from the investigating officer. She confirmed that her report identified the oversized load as the contributing factor and that she was not aware of another contributing factor.
The investigation tied the damage to the truck’s load and its route beneath the bridge, rather than treating the collision as an unexplained object suddenly appearing on the highway.
Showing what the injuries changed
Bobby’s treatment did not end with the emergency response. His doctors evaluated continuing neck and back pain and problems with his right hand. He underwent a lower-back operation, but described ongoing symptoms afterward. A proposed neck operation had not been performed when he testified.
The effects were personal as well as medical. Bobby explained that he could still attend his son’s baseball activities, but could no longer physically coach the way he had before. Fielding, hitting and other activities they once shared had become difficult.
The defense disputed the connection between the crash and some of the medical findings. The team developed the treatment history and Bobby’s own account of the changes in his daily life, then included that evidence in its renewed settlement demand.
A renewed demand and a negotiated settlement
An earlier settlement demand had not resolved the case. As the evidence and treatment developed, Vuk directed the team to prepare an updated demand and reviewed the effort to obtain the available insurance coverage.
The renewed demand brought together the driver’s testimony, the officer’s investigation, the medical treatment and the effects of the injuries. Vuk also spoke with defense counsel as the case approached trial.
The insurer accepted the renewed demand. Bobby’s personal-injury claim ultimately resolved for $926,588.59. The result followed the team’s work connecting the physical evidence of the bridge strike with the medical and day-to-day consequences of the crash.
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