When a Plaintiff Wins a Big West Palm Beach Injury Case, What Happens?

DISCLAIMER: Please note that every case is different and these verdicts and settlements, while accurate, do not represent what we may obtain for you in your case.

$15 Million Confidential Post-Trial Settlement of Bad Faith Car Crash Case

David Glatthorn acted as co-counsel in a case that involved a $15 million jury award for a female passenger left brain-damaged and comatose in a high-speed collision. The award is being used to provide lifetime care for the plaintiff.

Both vehicles carried limited insurance coverage: $100,000 for the car driven by the plaintiff's friend and only $250,000 in coverage for the other car. But while her friend's insurance company tendered its $100,000 to the plaintiff's mother within two weeks of the accident, the insurance company for the other driver did not make any offer for over 11 months, despite injuries so severe that more than $325,000 in medical bills were accrued during the plaintiff's first month of hospitalization.

After five months of full cooperation with the other driver's insurance carrier, the plaintiff's mother retained one of Palm Beach County 's top firms. Under the threat of a lawsuit, the other driver's insurance company made a late attempt to fulfill its contractual obligations. The $250,000 offer was rejected.

A Palm Beach County jury awarded over $15 million dollars in damages against the other driver, who sued his insurance company for bad faith. The company, in turn, sued the plaintiff's mother, claiming she had never intended to settle the case. Because the original firm she had hired was forced to become witnesses in the action, it was prohibited from handling the case further. It was at this point that David Glatthorn was hired as co-counsel because of his 20 years of experience in personal injury and insurance law.

During intense pre-trial motions, an insurance company memo was discovered, which attempted to save a portion of the policy even though the plaintiff's medical bills had already exceeded $600,000. Despite this clear evidence of bad faith, the insurance company resisted making any reasonable offers until several days before the scheduled trial date. The confidential settlement that was reached will ensure that the plaintiff will receive the proper lifetime care.

Awarded: 15 Million