Motorcycle Accident 

Motorcyclist Hit by Car Unable to Resume Work or Normal Life Activities 

Snow Law Firm Settlement: $900,000

Case Description 

The driver of a van failed to stop at a stop sign and broadsided a motorcyclist. The result of impact caused multiple body fractures for the motorcycle driver including: ulnar fracture, vertebral compression fracture and comminuted fracture (broken into pieces) with angulated fractured fragment displacing the nerve root. He was unable to work, had difficulty bending, squatting and lifting nor could he walk for any length of time. Therefore, he was unable to regain his normal life activities. This individual was a mobile marine mechanic and his job required constant bending, lifting and squatting on a daily basis. He had no prior issues within his medical history, he was married, had a family, and owned a home. Until the motorcycle crash.

Legal Issues

Attorney Snow’s job was to determine the client’s residual earnings capacity, meaning could he go back to work, and if so, it’s effect on the loss of earnings calculation. In this case, Attorney Snow had to prove whether or not he could have invasive surgery for removal of angulated fragments and if this would alleviate cord impingement and result in a return of function. And if so, how this would affect any residual earnings capacity calculation.

Outcome

The expert opinion confirmed that surgical intervention would not guarantee a favorable medical result. The client took a lump sum payment and a structured settlement with monthly payment commencing in 2022, the age of his expected retirement.