Soft Tissue Car Accident Results In $170,000.00 Mediation Award
The car accident attorneys at Lipkin & Higgins were referred P.L., a 25 year-old woman involved in a car accident, by another attorney. P.L. had been rear-ended at a red light by a semi-tractor trailer traveling at a slow rate of speed. While her car was totaled, Ms. L. seemed to escape serious injury. She was diagnosed with what is referred to as “a soft tissue injury” meaning she suffered no broken bones, no herniated spinal discs, and no torn ligaments or tendons requiring surgery. Ligaments are tissue which connect two bones together; tendons are tissue which connect muscle to bone. P.L. experienced pain in her neck, shoulders and low back. The pain was not constant but shifted over time from one part of her body to another and at different levels of severity. P.L. received ongoing medical treatment for nearly two years consisting of physical therapy and three epidural steroid injections. Throughout this time, she was able to continue with her regular work and recreational activities, though sometimes at a reduced level.
When the defendant’s trucking company suggested to mediate this case, we accepted. Mediation is an alternative to a jury trial. It is a process where the parties submit documents to a retired judge who attempts to resolve the case by reviewing the evidence the parties submit and speaking with the parties individually. The benefits of mediation are its speed - generally a few hours - as opposed to a jury trial which could run several days or weeks, and reduced costs as compared with trial.
The car accident attorneys at Lipkin & Higgins successfully guided P.L. through the litigation process and obtained a favorable settlement of her case in the amount of $170,000.00.
