GWC attorney Deanna Cairo Arthur was recently able to obtain a settlement worth $315,000.00 for a Chicago police officer who was injured by an underinsured driver by successfully pursuing all available avenues of recovery.
Off-Duty Chicago Police Officer in Rollover Crash
On July 10, 2016, shortly at 4:00 a.m., GWC’s client, an off-duty Chicago police officer, was driving northbound on I-94 near 111th Street in Chicago, IL. At that time, a drunk driver was also traveling northbound on I-94 at approximately 100 miles per hour.
The drunk driver then lost control of his vehicle and collided first with the concrete median and then with the client’s vehicle on the driver’s side, forcing it to veer off the road and roll upside down.
Serious Injuries and Significant Wage Loss
As a result of this incident, the client suffered severe right shoulder injuries, with labral, interval, and rotator cuff tearing and subacromial impingement. After three months of conservative treatment, he underwent surgery in the form of an arthroscopic subacromial/subcoracoid decompression with interval repair and capsular shift, followed by an extensive physical therapy regimen.
Thankfully, the client was ultimately released back to his job as a Chicago police officer after a full recovery. However, his injuries and his subsequent course of treatment prevented him from returning to work for an extended period of time, a significant economic blow for the client.
GWC Pursues All Avenues of Recovery
Though the driver’s auto insurance company initially only wanted to accept 80 percent of the responsibility for the accident, Ms. Arthur was able to argue successfully that its insured’s wildly negligent conduct placed him entirely at fault. As a result, the insurance company agreed to tender its entire liability policy to settle the claim.
“Unfortunately, the at-fault driver only had what is known as ‘state minimum coverage,’” explained Ms. Arthur. “This is the lowest amount of injury liability insurance coverage that you are required to carry according to Illinois state law.”
At the time of the accident that injured her client, the Illinois state minimum coverage was capped at $25,000.00 per injured person, which was not nearly enough to adequately compensate the Chicago police officer for his losses. To make up for this economic shortfall, Ms. Arthur sought out other potential avenues of recovery – in this case, her client’s own underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage.
UIM coverage is designed to provide additional financial compensation for an injured party once the insurance for the at-fault vehicle has been maxed out, assuming that the UIM coverage has policy limits exceeding those of the at-fault vehicle’s liability coverage.
By forcefully advocating for the Chicago police officer and by fully conveying the extent of the damages he suffered as a result of this incident – physically, emotionally, and economically – Ms. Arthur convinced his insurance carrier to tender $285,000.00 from his UIM coverage and an additional $5,000.00 from his Medical Payment coverage. In all, Ms. Arthur was able to obtain a settlement worth $315,000.00 for her client.
Let Our Chicago Car Accident Attorneys Maximize Your Claim
Even in a case in which there seems to be little or even no money available to compensate you for your injuries, there may still be additional avenues of recovery. A skillful attorney can identify and pursue these opportunities and fully convey the extent of your damages in order to maximize the value of your claim. With this in mind, if you have been negligently injured in a car accident, seek out an attorney who can fight for you, like the Chicago car accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers.
With over $2 billion recovered for our clients and more than four decades in the business, GWC is one of the premier Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. We have the experience, the determination, and the proven record of success you need to help get you the justice you deserve.
Contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our attorneys. Call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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