$4 million settlement for Silicon Valley executive who lost leg in motorcycle crash

Like many of our other cases, the accident that caused our client, a human resources professional in her early 30s, to lose a leg resulted from negligence: a driver, not taking the reasonable care he should have, struck a motorcycle pulling out of a spot, causing grave injuries.  But there was more to this case. 

The car that struck our client – who would need to be fit with a prosthetic and undergo a year of rehabilitation – had regularly made deliveries for the driver’s employer.  That was an important point, for if the driver was making deliveries when the accident occurred, his employer – and its greater insurance coverage – would need to answer for the harm.  The driver claimed he was going to lunch, and he said as much in a deposition.  But we uncovered a statement he had made to our client’s insurance company, acknowledging that he had, in fact, been making a delivery when he struck the motorcycle.  We were then able to bring in the driver’s employer – and its insurance policy.  That helped our client obtain a far higher settlement – $4 million – than she would have obtained had the driver’s own insurance been the source of recovery.