Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Case Results in $8.1M Settlement

In recent news, a woman who suffered a mild traumatic brain injury after being sideswiped at a stoplight by a negligent driver received an $8.1 million verdict.

The Case: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

The Court: Kern County Superior Court

The Case No.: BCV-19-101566-JEB

The Plaintiff: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

In 2017, the plaintiffs (two Rosamond, California residents) drove their Ford Flex in their local area. Another driver ran a red light and t-boned the plaintiff during a left-hand turn. In the time leading up to the trial, the plaintiff repeatedly requested that State Farm, the defendant's insurance carrier, pay the defendant's $100,000 policy limits. However, State Farm refused. After years of litigation, just two months before trial, State Farm offered just $30,000 to settle the mild traumatic brain injury case.

The Defendant: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

During litigation and throughout the trial, State Farm's attorneys attempted to minimize the severity of the incident, arguing that, at most, the plaintiff suffered a concussion that should have been resolved within months. Still, the jury also heard testimony from the plaintiff and physicians claiming that significant residual problems resulted from the car crash requiring substantial future medical treatment.

The Case: Plaintiffs v. Alyse Williams and Does

The car accident victim in the Bakersfield case first (and repeatedly) attempted to get State Farm to agree to pay out the defendant's $100,000 policy limits. When State Farm refused to do so throughout the years of litigation, the case went to trial. After hearing the case details and considering testimony defending both parties' arguments, the Bakersfield jury awarded the car accident victim $8.1 million for mild traumatic brain injury. The jury verdict includes $5,243,725.04 in future medical expenses, along with $250,000 in past non-economic losses, and $1,600,000 in future non-economic losses. It also includes $1 million in damages awarded to the car accident victim's husband.

If you have questions about how to file a California traumatic brain injury lawsuit, please get in touch with Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik DeBlouw LLP. Experienced traumatic brain injury attorneys are ready to assist you in various law firm offices in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside, and Chicago.