What Happened?
In October 2016, Atlas was driving to the Green Acres Mall in the Town of Hempstead, New York. He pulled into the parking lot, driving straight while looking for a parking spot, when he was suddenly struck on the passenger’s side by another car pulling out of a parking spot. Prior to the accident, the defendant had turned on his sound system and started to back out of the spot when he stopped in the road and put his car in park to search for a satellite radio station. The defendant actually noticed Atlas pull into the parking lot and knew there was another car driving around. Once the defendant found the radio station, he began driving through the parking lot when the two of them collided. Atlas was taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he was treated, evaluated, and discharged home.
As a result of the accident, Atlas suffered injuries to his neck, right shoulder (rotator cuff tear), and lower back. He experienced continual neck pain described as throbbing and aching, with stiffness. He also had difficulty lifting his right arm and grasping/holding items. Lastly, he experienced lower back pain that he also described as throbbing and aching, with stiffness. While therapy did help subside the pain and the frequency of its occurrence, he continued having difficulty standing and walking for prolonged periods, as well as bending and lifting items. When conservative treatment failed, Atlas underwent right shoulder surgery in February 2017, and endured a difficult road to recovery. He was unable to work for 1.5 years.
The Result of Atlas’ Hempstead Accident Lawyer
Atlas knew all about The Case Handler team through the radio. Two days after the accident, he called us for legal help. The defendant blamed Atlas for driving too fast, and even the police report stated that Atlas hit the defendant. To make matters worse, a witness who didn’t actually see the accident but saw Atlas drive past her in the parking lot said Atlas was driving fast and caused the accident. Interestingly, the defendant stated that both he and Atlas were driving around the same speed at approximately 7-10 mph.
The defendant’s insurance company refused to pay throughout the entire process, so our team took the case to court for a jury to decide. Despite this “he said, she said” case, our Hempstead accident lawyer took on the defendant and fought the insurance company in court, ultimately securing a $270,000 jury verdict award.
