Car vs. Bike

Today one investigation. I’m rushing to get out. So this post will be brief.

A 19 year old on a bicycle rider was rear-ended by a car. In the first match, the car won. Now we take the fight to the civil arena. This time, it's bicycle vs. the vehicle.

The bicycle rider is the Plaintiff. The car’s driver and insurance company is the Defendant. The attorneys I usually work for go after the insurance money and seldom, if ever, a person’s assets. The reason for this is - insurance money is collectable, a judgment against a person might never be collected. Case in point is O.J. Simpson’s civil suit. The Goldman/Browns have not collected their judgment all these years later.

People often declare bankruptcy after being sued and losing. Attorneys can’t afford to invest in cases and lose.

And the goal is to find, then acquire, enough money from the DEF’s auto insurance policy to pay medical bills, future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering. Sometimes, there's not enough money in the DEF's policy to even cover the medical bills. In Washington state, a person's own auto insurance can kick in via it's UIM or Un-Insured/Under-Insured Motorist policy.

Things is, the victim I am seeing today is really injured. He'll need all the insurance money we can find. Broken arm, broken hand, will need surgery involving plates and screws. He has a job requiring use of both arms and hands. And he has no health insurance. Chances are good, if he can’t work, he’ll lose his job, he’ll lose his apartment, and he’ll have to move back with his parents. Damages will be significant.

I meet victims of life-altering injuries when the bottom is beginning to, or about to, or has fallen out. The current economy has turned brick and mortar homes into fragile houses of cards. One big injury, one mighty blow... and down she goes.