Below are verdicts and out-of-court settlements in motor vehicle accident cases involving either State Auto as a defendant – most likely an uninsured motorist case – or cases against this insurance carrier’s insured. Hopefully, these verdicts can inform your opinion on the value of similar cases. But you have to remember that every claim is different, even those that sound the same in a short synopsis. Keep in mind that every case is different and one does not predict the outcome of another.
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Sample verdicts and settlements
- Maryland: $135,000 Settlement: A sweet 76-year-old who did not speak English was walking through a church parking lot in Parkville (Baltimore County) and was run over by a driver rounding a blind corner. She suffered a knee fracture. State Auto denied that the woman was even hit and refused to make any settlement offer before a lawsuit was filed. The insurance company hired Dr. Stanley Friedler as their expert. Plaintiff’s experts were the doctors who treated the patient. After discovery, the case settled in 2014 for $135,000. [Get more knee fracture verdicts.]
- Maryland: $250,000 Verdict: Rear end accident case. Plaintiff suffered a herniated disc in his lower back that leads to a staph infection. State Auto used Dr. Ronald Cohen as their defense expert. [Get more on herniated disc verdicts.]
- Maryland: $42,000 Settlement: Plaintiff was rear-ended at a traffic light in Baltimore County by a driver who was – surprise! – talking on a cell phone. The problem with the case was that the Plaintiff had more than 60 chiropractor visits in the ten years before the accident complaining of similar pain. State Auto used Dr. Louis Halikman to refute Plaintiff’s claim that the crash caused a new disc herniation at L4-L5 and an annular tear. Plaintiff also claimed aggravation of preexisting disc herniations in his neck and back. The jury split the baby on this one after only an hour of deliberation, awarding $17,000 for past medicals; $25,000 for future medical bills, and $0 for pain and suffering. The zero on pain and suffering is a hard one to swallow logically.
- Maryland: $67,000 Settlement: Plaintiffs, husband and wife, are traveling on a motorcycle when Defendant Driver makes a left-hand turn in front of the Plaintiffs, causing a collision. The wife sustains primarily soft tissue injuries, while the husband sustains a torn left meniscus, left lateral epicondylitis, and right ulnar nerve entrapment. The husband undergoes surgery and claims permanency for his injuries. The combined initial offer was $33,000. The reason for the low offer? A lot of preexisting injuries. But case settles before trial for a combined amount of $67,000.
- You can get more Miller & Zois verdicts here.