Cape Coral Car Accident Victim With Neck Injuries Receives $200,000 Policy Limits

In Cape Coral, Florida a 70 year-old retired contractor (the plaintiff), was rear-ended by a driver at a high speed on Cape Coral Parkway. The plaintiff was immediately taken to the Emergency Room at Cape Coral Hospital due to the severe nature of the crash. After a series of tests, the plaintiff was diagnosed with cervical and lumbar sprains and strains. After several months of treatment and therapy, the plaintiff was still experiencing extreme pain and discomfort. As such, he was referred to pain management by his orthopedic surgeon for a series of three (3) epidural injections. Unfortunately, even after the injections, the plaintiff’s pain persisted and a cervical fusion (neck surgery) was recommended.

A cervical fusion or arthrodesis is an invasive surgical procedure that fuses selected bones in the neck. The surgery requires an extended hospital stay as well as a neck brace during the recovery period. The plaintiff underwent a successful cervical fusion at Lee Memorial Hospital, followed by two months of physical therapy.

Despite the serious nature of this accident and the costly extended treatment time, the defendant’s insurance company, United States Automobile Association (USAA) originally offered merely $10,000 to settle the case prior to the plaintiff’s surgery. USAA Insurance provides low cost insurance for members of the military and their families.

Our client’s Cape Coral personal injury attorney at Dell & Schaefer refused the offer and gave USAA 30 days to pay the policy limits of $100,000 to settle the case. USAA eventually accepted the offer and settled the case for the policy limits. Additionally, we were able to recover an additional $100,000 from our client’s underinsured motorist insurance coverage. The total amount recovered was $200,000. This settlement will aid the plaintiff during the long, painful recovery process.