Shannon was a Cal Poly student who was bicycling to school one evening; a pickup truck turned left directly in front of her. Shannon braked, was catapulted forward and impacted the side of the truck. Initially, she experienced pain on the left side of her body; the insurance company offered Shannon’s first attorney $2,630.00 for full and final settlement of the case. After that initial offer, Shannon’s attorney advised he didn’t feel the case was worth pursuing.
I was impressed by Shannon; she put herself through Cal Poly, worked two jobs while maintaining a 3.6 GPA, taking science classes with the goal of becoming an occupational therapist. My office assumed representation, filed suit and began a pursuit of the Defendant and the carrier. After expert witness depositions, it became apparent the insurance carrier had grossly mis-assessed the case. Shannon continued to have issues with her right shoulder which potentially interfered with her ability to perform her duties as an occupational therapist. In the interim, Shannon completed her Occupational Therapy program, was elected president of her class and earned a 3.8 GPA. On the eve of trial, defendants requested and were granted a brief continuance. The offer then increased from $2,630.00 to $15,000.00 to $50,000.00 to $75,000.00 then to $300,000.00. I rejected each offer. The case settled for the policy limits of $500,000.00 two weeks before the continued trial date