Unlicensed Teen Slams Into WWII Marine – Pays $725,000 Settlement

Our client remembers his accident only as a series of fleeting images of the paramedics, an ambulance and finally the hospital where he was treated for blunt head trauma and other injuries. Only later as he watched the red-light video from the accident site did he discover that an unlicensed teen driver had illegally run a red light and slammed into the side of his vehicle.

The force of the collision pushed his vehicle across multiple lanes, and instantly deployed his side and front airbags. Despite the safety equipment in place, our client’s head struck the interior of his car and he blacked out. Unable to remember the crash, he recovered from his injuries knowing that his days of dancing, bowling and driving with his new wife would never be the same.

As a 93-year-old WWII Marine veteran, our tenacious client lived an active and independent life before the accident. Despite his advanced years, he bowled multiple games per week with three different leagues, danced ballroom with his new wife and drove regularly to run his errands, as he was doing on the day of the crash.

Though his physical injuries – blunt head trauma, internal bleeding, multiple fractures to his ribs and vertebrae and pacemaker implant – were undeniable, the insurance companies involved sought to minimize his compensation since he had already exceeded ‘normal’ life expectancy. They also attempted to deny the extent of his brain injuries, attributing memory and coordination losses to pre-existing dementia.

With Dunnion Law at his side, our client received the support and legal expertise necessary to halt the insurance companies’ efforts. Our attorney brought in expert witnesses who argued the accident, not the client’s pre-existing dementia, were at the root of his losses. She also provided further evidence of his active life even with the pre-existing dementia, comparing it with his post-accident life in which his adult children now provide daily assistance.

Our attorney’s commitment to her client, and her strong and clear defense against the insurance company arguments ultimately won the client the maximum limits of $250,000 from two insurance policies, plus an additional $225,000 from an umbrella policy. The total settlement of $725,000 allows our client to soldier on as the proud Marine veteran that he continues to be.