Case at a glance
- Recovery: $375,000 Combined Settlement
- Injury: Driver’s lumbar disc injury requiring surgery; passenger’s back and shoulder injuries
- Practice: Truck Accidents
- Attorney: Vuk Vujasinovic
A collision at Gessner and the Katy Freeway service road
On October 11, 2004, Ivette was driving south on Gessner Drive in Houston. Guadalupe was riding with her. An 18-wheeler traveling east on the Katy Freeway service road entered the intersection and struck the front of their car with the right front portion of the tractor-trailer.
The women alleged that the truck driver ran a red light. The defense disputed that account, contending that the light was yellow and that Ivette had not taken proper evasive action.
The claim required addressing those competing accounts of the intersection collision as well as the separate injuries each woman sustained.
Back surgery and lost work for Ivette
Ivette, a dental assistant, claimed a herniated disc at L5-S1 in her lower back. She underwent physical therapy and steroid injections before having a laminectomy and discectomy in November 2005.
Her medical bills totaled approximately $38,000. She also claimed about $35,000 in lost wages, explaining that the back pain affected both her work as a dental assistant and her daily activities.
A separate injury claim for Guadalupe
Guadalupe sustained soft-tissue injuries to her lower back and left shoulder. Her condition improved with physical therapy, and her medical bills, including diagnostic testing, totaled approximately $12,000.
She did not claim lost wages. Her claim instead addressed her medical treatment and the pain that affected her daily activities. The two women’s claims arose from the same crash, but their treatment, losses and recovery needs were different.
Pursuing the truck driver and the moving company
Vuk and the VB Attorneys team sued the truck driver for negligence and pursued the moving company that employed him. The case was filed in Harris County.
The parties disagreed about the traffic signal and the driving decisions that led to the collision. Alongside those liability issues, Vuk and the VB Attorneys team pursued compensation reflecting each woman’s individual injuries.
A combined $375,000 settlement
The defendants settled the claims for a total of $375,000. The settlement allocated $335,000 to Ivette’s claim and $40,000 to Guadalupe’s claim.
The resolution addressed both women’s losses: Ivette’s surgery and work interruption, and Guadalupe’s treatment and ongoing effects on daily life.
Questions about the case
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