$9M Verdict in Personal Injury Car Accident
A California jury this week awarded two women $9 million for severe personal injuries suffered in a 2008 car accident. According to court documents, the truck driver for a Fresno refrigeration equipment company, Hussmann Corp., rear-ended a pickup truck driven by Susan Lutz. The force of the collision propelled Lutz' truck into the back of a van driven by Clarice Brewer. As a result of the accident, both women sustained severe, life-changing injuries.
Brewer suffered a spinal cord injury and lost the use of both legs. No longer able to walk, she will spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Lutz suffered a traumatic brain injury that has left her in a permanent state of vertigo which makes patients feel constantly dizzy. The jury awarded Brewer $2.36 million for medical expenses and $5 million for pain and suffering. Lutz received $981,770 for medical expenses and $1 million for pain and suffering.
Philadelphia personal injury lawyers say that the aspect of this case of most interest to Philadelphia drivers is the defense attorney's attempt to decrease the truck owner's liability by arguing that one of the victims was not wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred. Personal injury lawyers for the woman argued that she was. The jury sided with the woman's attorneys, holding Hussmann 100% responsible for the motor vehicle accident.
Philadelphia personal injury attorneys note that had the jury decided that the woman was not wearing her seatbelt, she would have been held partially responsible for the severity of her injuries which would have decreased the amount of her award. If you are in a Philadelphia auto accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can see that you receive the compensation you are entitled to.
