Car Accident Cases Attorney in Los Angeles, California
$2.5 Million Recovery for Spine Fusion: Overcoming the no seatbelt defense
$2.5 Million Recovery for Spine Fusion: Overcoming the no seatbelt defense
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One case that stands out is the case we did for Miss Ding that settled for two and a half million dollars for her spinal fusion. She was a passenger in a small tour bus that was going from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and it went off the road and onto the desert floor and the small tour bus hits a bump and slams down. And that energy goes up through her seat and causes her vertebrae to fracture. What was challenging about that case was that the defense said she should have a seatbelt on and if she had a seatbelt on, she would have never have had those problems.
It started as a straightforward case, became more complicated, but we really had good experts on it. And we tried to answer the why question, why did this happen? And so, we were able to reconstruct it using an animation that was science based and then we had a bio mechanist, a scientist whose study is what does a seatbelt do and what doesn’t it do? And we were able to show that with that type of G-loading what they call the force that was coming up to her, that a seatbelt would never have made a difference. And as a matter of fact, in this case it might have even made it worse. That was a very interesting case that we had regarding seatbelts. And I think we had a good outcome for her.
Los Angeles, CA personal injury attorney Thomas Johnston talks about a case he worked on where a woman had injured herself in a tour bus. He explains that one notable case that remains prominent in our memory is the successful settlement for Miss Ding, amounting to two and a half million dollars, to address her spinal fusion injuries. The incident occurred while she was a passenger in a small tour bus traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The bus veered off the road and descended onto the desert floor, resulting in a jolting impact when it encountered a bump. This force traveled through her seat, leading to fractures in her vertebrae.
The defense presented a challenge by arguing that Miss Ding should have been wearing a seatbelt, insinuating that her injuries could have been avoided if she had been properly restrained.
Initially, the case appeared straightforward but grew in complexity. However, we engaged highly skilled experts who played a crucial role in addressing the pivotal question: why did this incident occur? We employed a scientifically-based animation to reconstruct the events, delving into the forces involved. Additionally, we sought the expertise of a biomechanist, a scientist specializing in the effects and limitations of seatbelts. Through their analyses, we were able to demonstrate that given the specific G-forces involved in this situation, a seatbelt would not have made a significant difference and, in fact, could have exacerbated the injuries. This exploration of the seatbelt dynamics was a compelling aspect of the case.
Ultimately, our diligent efforts and compelling evidence led to a favorable outcome for Miss Ding. It was a captivating and impactful case that shed light on the intricacies of seatbelt usage, and we are proud to have achieved a positive resolution for our client.
