Laborer

GWC Obtains $527,689.02 Jury Verdict for Union Laborer

GWC attorneys Louis Anthony Cairo and Lawrence J. Amato have obtained a $527,689.02 jury verdict for a union laborer following a trial in Lake County.

SUV Hits Motorcycle Without Braking

GWC’s client is a union laborer and a proud member of Local 6 for many years. In August 2017, he was riding his motorcycle northbound on Route 59 in North Barrington, IL. He then came to a complete stop at a red light at Route 59’s intersection with Route 22.

At the same time, a woman was driving her large SUV directly behind the motorcyclist at approximately 25 miles per hour. She then failed to apply her brakes and crashed into the client, who was stopped with the rest of the traffic. The impact was so great that the SUV ejected the Plaintiff off his motorcycle a significant distance.

Laborer Sustains Tibia Fracture

An ambulance transported the laborer to an area hospital, where he was diagnosed with a fractured tibial cortex of the right leg with a four-inch laceration. He then underwent an immediate right tibial closed reduction and emergent tibial irrigation with debridement of the skin, muscle, and bone, as well as an anterior compartment fasciotomy of the right leg, requiring staples. He also sustained trauma to the right hip and the cervical spine.

Following his initial hospitalization, the client was non-weight-bearing on his right leg for three weeks, and he required a walking boot for an additional four weeks. He also had to undergo post-surgical treatment for six months that included physical therapy and oral pain medications.

Additionally, the client’s physicians ordered him off work for a total of nine weeks. Fortunately, he was ultimately able to return to his job full duty and without medical restrictions.

GWC Counters Defense Claims

GWC Injury Lawyers LLC filed suit against the driver of the SUV. The Defense initially attempted to blame the collision on a faulty brake system, then tried to claim that GWC’s client stopped abruptly, which caused the Defendant to rear-end him. Mr. Cairo and Mr. Amato successfully countered these claims.

“Our investigation showed that the SUV’s brakes were working properly at the time of the accident,” said Mr. Cairo. “An independent witness who saw the collision verified that the Defendant’s brake lights never lit up and that she did not slow down before hitting our client.”

GWC Obtains Successful Verdict at Trial

In response to GWC’s arguments, the Defense conceded the SUV driver’s liability for the collision, but her attorneys still disputed the extent of the motorcyclist’s injuries.

GWC then took the matter to trial in a Lake County courtroom – a venue that is not known to be as friendly to Plaintiffs. Nevertheless, based on the case that Mr. Cairo and Mr. Amato presented and the degree to which they illustrated the totality of the laborer’s losses, the jury ruled in favor of GWC’s client, returning with a verdict of $527,689.02.

“The good people of Lake County understood the severity of the impact that our client endured and how much it affected him both physically and emotionally,” said Mr. Amato.

“Knowing that we were able to get our client the justice he deserved is most rewarding, especially when the last offer by the insurance company was $136,000.00,” Mr. Cairo said.

Fighting Obstructive Defense Tactics All the Way

When someone is the innocent victim of an accident, far too often Defendants and their insurance companies will try anything they can to limit their financial exposure, including minimizing the extent of the injuries sustained or denying liability entirely. If this has happened to you, reach out to GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.

With more than $2 billion recovered in verdicts and settlements, GWC is one of the premier Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. Our car accident attorneys have decades of experience overcoming obstructive Defense tactics in order to get our clients and their families full and fair compensation – even if that means taking a case to court, something that many other firms will not do.

For a free, no-obligation consultation with a knowledgeable motorcycle accident attorney, contact GWC today. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.

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