Injured Pedestrian Awarded $690,000
Rory Lambert represented a woman who suffered serious injuries to her knee, pelvis and spine. She was a very seriously injured pedestrian. She had been walking in the marked crosswalk on Cook Street where it intersects with May Street when the front of a truck, travelling 30 km/hour, hit her on the right side of her body and knocked her almost 15 feet. If she went to trial, ICBC told her they would argue that she was partially at fault.
The young woman’s injuries left her with unremitting chronic back and neck pain that interfered with her daily activities and left her unable to work full-time. Her injuries also put her at greater risk for developing osteoarthritis in her knee and made it likely that she will require knee replacement surgery by early middle age.
This young woman hired Lambert Law after working with a different lawyer for almost two years with no result; she had lost confidence in his ability to ensure that she would be treated fairly. Shortly before the trial, our client told us she would be comfortable with $325,000 to compensate her for all of her losses. We informed defence counsel that our client’s bottom line to settle the case was $325,000. Harold Turnham, one of ICBC’s most experienced defence lawyers said that his client, ICBC, would not pay more than $320,000. Harold believed he could prove that our client was partially at fault in the incident. While many lawyers would not go to trial over such a small difference, especially when there is a liability risk, we know what it takes to reach a fair settlement. We took this case to trial over a $5,000 difference.
The trial lasted 10 days. At the end of the trial, the judge found the driver of the truck to be completely at fault for our client’s injuries and awarded her $691,323. Although our client will always have to live with pain and the memory of the incident, we were extremely happy to be able to help ensure she would be taken care of with the settlement amount.
One of the best signs of a highly skilled trial lawyer is their ability to get the amount they ask for. Out of over 150 cases reviewed by the trial lawyers association of British Columbia, this case was the one where the amount awarded by the judge was closest to what was asked for during the trial.
Choosing the right lawyer to represent you is paramount to the success of your case so, if you are considering pursuing a claim for compensation, contact Rory today.
