Client Offered $50,000 Following Car Accident, but Dell & Schaefer Recovers $500,000

Recovering an additional $450,000 for our client after her first lawyer told her to settle for $50,000 changed our client’s life. This case is a clear example of the importance of hiring a Florida car accident attorney that handles car accident cases everyday.

Our client was a 52 year mother of three children riding as a front seat passenger going south on I-95 in Pompano. Her husband was driving the car. The family was coming home from a wonderful vacation in Disney World when disaster struck minutes from their home. 

An unlicensed driver, without permission, had taken his wife’s car and was heading north, in the southbound lanes of I-95. The defendant had been diagnosed with dementia. He was not allowed to drive, but that didn’t stop him from getting behind the wheel. A catastrophic head on collision occurred. Miraculously, the only seriously injured party was the front seat passenger. She had both legs broken, a fractured knee cap and other serious spinal injuries. Our client’s husband, had a lawyer recommended to him who he hired. The other lawyer accepted the small bodily injury policy limits of $10,000.00, which was the full amount on the at fault driver’s car. The person that caused the accident had no money beyond the $10,000 of insurance coverage.

Our Client had Underinsured Motorist Coverage, But Far More Than $50,000 Her First Lawyer Was Willing to Accept

Our client’s insurance company offered $50,000.00 to settle the balance of the claim. Their first lawyer recommended they take it. This was the amount of the uninsured motorist coverage the client thought she had. The family called Pompano Beach car accident attorney Dell and Schaefer for a second opinion. We asked if the lower uninsured motorist benefits, (lower than the bodily injury coverage of $500,000.00) had a written waiver, as part of that contractual agreement. Our client didn’t know.  When they called their first lawyer he didn’t know either. The clients immediately terminated their lawyer and hired Dell and Schaefer. To learn more about UM coverage please read our Frequently Asked Question on this topic.

Car Insurance Company Unable To Produce Signed Waiver For UM Coverage

After being retained, Dell and Schaefer immediately demanded production of the written waiver required to sell uninsured motorist in an amount lower than the bodily injury liability limits. In this specific case the liability limit was $500,000.00 and the UM $50,000.00. Clearly the injuries that our client had suffered were worth well in excess of either coverage amount. When the insurance company could not produce the written waiver required by law, the “new” uninsured motorist coverage limit had to be increased to $500,000.00. The case was settled within a few months after we were retained for half a million dollars.

It is vital to always retain an attorney who is experienced and knowledgeable about all aspects of Florida car accident law. You can count on Dell and Schaefer. The lawyers in the firm have recovered over three hundred million dollars on behalf of our clients. 

Needless to say, our client was thrilled with her second opinion. Contact us at anytime for a free phone or in-home consultation anywhere in the state of Florida.