Augusta County General District Court 2009: Not all cases result in huge verdicts. However, court victories at any level are notable. In this case, the client was a passenger in a 15-passenger van with other members of his family. As the van was turning onto an access road to I-81, the defendant ran a red light and t-boned the van. Client had immediate back pain and was taken by ambulance to Augusta Health. Client had a history of moderate to severe back problems and had previously treated a month before the wreck with a chiropractor. He continued to get treatment from the chiropractor after the wreck. His total medical bills were $8,600; of which about $5,400 was from the chiropractor. The defendant insurance company offered $6,300 arguing that the prior back problems were the reason client needed the chiropractic treatment.
We filed suit and at trial, the Court awarded my client $12,500. Not a huge verdict but considering my client’s prior back problems; it was pretty good. More important it showed the insurance company that we did not have to take their low-ball offers, but could competently try the case and get a reasonable verdict.