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Auto accidents are consistently among the nation's
leading causes of death and injury. Common as they may
be, they can lead to extremely complicated lawsuits.
For a variety of reasons—including high speeds,
poor visibility, and the after-effects of shock—witnesses
and those involved seldom agree on the facts of the
case. In that setting, decisions favor the party with
the legal team who can assemble the most convincing
experts and evidence. That's why it's important to choose
a team with a track record of success in such cases.
At Golomb & Honik, we have succeeded in some of the
most complex motor vehicle cases, as you can read below:
- A hotel van transporting
international flight attendants to the airport ran
a red light, broadsiding a vehicle and rendering the
driver a paraplegic. The insurer for the hotel denied
the claim, claiming that the injured driver had been
the one to run the light. In support of their claim,
they produced multiple statements from flight attendants
attesting that the other driver, in fact, ran the
red light. Litigation ensued, and during discovery
it was determined that the flight attendants who gave
"statements" were unable to speak or read English.
In fact, the statements were prepared by an investigator
on behalf of the hotel and signed by the flight attendants
without translation. After three mediation sessions
just prior to trial, the case settled for $6,500,000.
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Bar surveillance cameras showed a mutual fund executive
being served more than 10 drinks over a short period.
With the assistance of bar employees, he then walked
to his car to drive himself home. On the drive, he
fled the scene of one accident only to swerve into
oncoming traffic, causing a second accident that killed
a college student. On behalf of the student's estate,
Golomb & Honik attorneys successfully negotiated a
settlement of more than $4 million from the driver
and the bar.
- Driving home
one day, a man braked to a stop when he came across
an accident being cleared on the interstate. Before
he could begin moving again, he was rear-ended by
a tractor-trailer going more than 45 miles per hour.
His vehicle was thrown into the air and traveled more
than 20 feet. Golomb & Honik attorneys established
that the truck driver had looked down for a period,
leading to the accident. After complex negotiations
due to insurance coverage issues and the participation
of multiple parties, the case was settled for $1 million.
- Golomb
& Honik successfully represented the estates of two
vehicle occupants tragically killed at an intersection
not properly protected by four-way stop signs. Investigation
and discovery in the case revealed that the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation had undertaken a study
of an adjoining intersection, less than a half mile
away, and found design justification to erect a four-way
stop sign. Despite the fact that the intersection
in which these occupants were killed was identical
in all respects and clearly required the erection
of a four-way stop sign, the Department of Transportation
inexplicably erected four-way controls at one intersection
and not the other. A significant confidential settlement
was reached on behalf of the estates.
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While attempting to negotiate a curve to the left,
a New Jersey driver lost control of his vehicle, exited
the roadway, and struck a tree. He suffered extensive
orthopedic and neurological injuries that required
a two-month hospital stay. A pre-litigation investigation
conducted by G&H attorneys discovered that there had
been at least 13 similar incidents in a three-year
period preceding the accident—all occurring within
200 yards of the accident location. Engineers hired
by G&H determined that there was a design defect in
the highway that created a "pooling" effect during
inclement weather, making the roadway exceedingly
slippery. Additionally, it was determined during discovery
that the guardrail at the curve in question had been
taken down in a previous accident; the replacement
was six feet shorter than the previous guardrail.
The case settled confidentially just prior to jury
selection.
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