Frightening and confusing are two words that can accurately speak to one’s state of mind post-accident. Often, the anarchy brought by the legal and non-legal aspects affects the involved parties deeply. Therefore, to eliminate the suffering of the involved parties, lawyers usually seek a quick and immediate solution outside of the courtroom. Lawyers often demonstrate shrewdness, as they negotiate their way through the settlement. Some battles they win, and some they lose. But on every occasion, a good lawyer knows that their competence in knowledge, experience, and skill will not be enough, and they might need to resort to another’s experience, by reading through previous cases. This is especially helpful for aspiring lawyers and can make for a stronger knowledge database. With that said, here are 7 interesting accident cases to know about.
1. Gloria Estefan
Legendary singer sensation, Gloria Estefan, is known to be connected to one of the most interesting accident cases in recent history, which took place in the Pocono Mountains in 1990. Mainly, the most interesting aspect of the Gloria Estefan case is the settlement, which is said to have gone as high up as $8.5 million. The Cuban American singer is said to have been sitting on her tour bus with her family and crew. The tour bus was stopped by the traffic on the highway. During its stationary position, a truck crashed right into the bus, causing several injuries, which include her husband’s injured head, her son’s broken collarbone, and two other devastating injuries to two of her crew members that were present at the time. Additionally, Gloria herself was injured badly, having spent over a year recovering from the crash. The singer also needed to get a couple of metal rods placed in her spine. The accident case never made it to trial, as it received the handsome settlement of $8.5 million for all those affected by it. The defendants called the settlement “fair and reasonable”.
2. Koste v. Chambers
Every aspiring lawyer should know about the Koste v. Chambers case, as it is one of the most interesting auto accident cases to ever read about. A man, George Chambers, was accompanied by his passenger, Rita Madsen. The accident they got into was with the driver of another vehicle, David Koste. Both George Chamber and Rita Madsen had oddly sued David Koste. However, instead of going to trial, it was instead heard under arbitration. During the arbitration, it was declared that Koste should pay $24,000 in damages since it was found that Rita Madsen is not to blame. Koste immediately paid the damages, which Chambers had seen as an opportunity. However, the arbitration found that both Koste and Chambers were at fault. Nevertheless, Chambers had received a monetary award. In retaliation, and to return some of the damage he paid to Madsen, Koste sued Chambers for his part of the accident. Koste wanted Chambers to pay for 58 percent of the $24,000 he had paid to Madsen. In the end, the court ruled for Koste, but then Chambers appealed the ruling.
3. Miramon v. Bradley
Julia Miramon, a university student, got into two car accidents in just one year, which was in 1988. Fortunately, Miramon had not sustained any serious injuries during either accident, but, sadly, she did suffer from serious mental distress. The first accident Julia was involved in was a very serious accident, whereas the second was a rear-ended collision, which is less serious. The mental distress from which Julia suffered had started causing her to develop anxiety and an eating disorder. During the investigation, it was found that the second accident had likely amplified the issues brought by the first, as it was the opinion of medical professionals. The interesting part is that in the first case, Julia Miramon had not received any damages. However, when she appealed, the court awarded her with $790, as coverage for the medical expenses and an additional $6,000 for the suffering either accidents caused her.
4. Chaz Demarco
A young Chaz Demarco was riding his motorbike when suddenly he was hit by a car from behind. Demarco was put in a hospital for around 3 weeks and had to endure several operations to repair his wrist, seeing as the ligament had experienced damage, and recovered from a fractured leg. Additionally, the motorcycle, which was no more than 3 months old, having only completed 300 miles, was totalled, adding to the losses of Chaz Demarco. In such cases, it is important to immediately seek the help of a motorcycle accident lawyer, especially if you live in an area like Kentucky, which has confusing motorcycle laws. Advisably, looking for a lawyer that is also an avid motorcycle enthusiast can help, as, at the least, such a lawyer will show understanding and compassion. As for the car driver, she was found to be speaking on the phone at the time, while also committing other negligent acts. It was also found that she was making an illegal turn at the time of an accident, which, afterwards, led to her acceleration through a yellow light. This was where Chaz was parked. He later received $450,000 in damages.
5. Monaco
The beautiful sovereign city-state and country of Monaco is known for its plush and exorbitant lifestyle. You can imagine the caliber of vehicles that share the road. Well, in July 2011, one of the most expensive car accidents in history had taken place, with five cars piled up. The cars involved included a Bentley, Mercedes S Class, Aston Martin, Ferrari, and a Porsche. The property damage was estimated to be around $1.1 million.
6. The Infamous Train
A woman in New York City had one day decided to lay down the tracks of the subway in a tragic attempt to commit suicide. Fortunately, the train managed not to kill her but injured her instead. The woman had then decided to sue the city of New York for the injuries she had sustained, and the Supreme Court did not disappoint. She was awarded $14.1 million.
7. David Crosby
The famed American singer-songwriter, David Crosby, was involved in a very expensive car accident, which is also interesting. The accident had occurred in 2015, where the musician was driving his Tesla in a town located in Southern California. During his drive, Crosby hit a jogger on the side of the road who was jogging with his son. The jogger was taken to a hospital, where he received treatment for the multiple injuries he had sustained. To end this nightmare, Crosby paid a total settlement of $3 million, where $50,000 was given to the son, and the remainder was for the injured jogger.
Accidents are as common as ever, and they can happen when you least expect it. Should an accident take place, it is important that you immediately contact the ambulance, and then a lawyer right after. Good personal injury lawyers will help you work your way through the complex and confusing laws, while also ensuring that you are given the best outcome possible. As for the aspiring lawyers, reading through the previous cases can greatly broaden their knowledge base, adding years’ worth of experience in a matter of minutes, or hours.