Palm Beach County woman rear-ended exiting I-95 resulting in shoulder surgery

Our client, a 28 year old woman from Palm Springs, Florida, was exiting I-95 southbound at Forest Hills Blvd. At that time, she had to stop before merging into west-bound traffic. While she was stopped, she was rear-ended by a van which failed to stop in time to avoid the accident. Our client had her left hand on the steering wheel, and the force of the impact created strain on her left shoulder, causing her great pain. Fire rescue came to the scene and transported her to the hospital.

The following day, our client sought treatment with a chiropractor, describing neck and shoulder pain. Initially she was treated primarily for neck pain, but over months the shoulder pain worsened. An MRI was performed, which revealed an injury to the ligaments in her left shoulder. Ultimately, she underwent arthroscopic surgical repair, along with the use of an implanted screw. Despite the surgery, she continues to suffer weakness and some pain in her shoulder.

Our client retained Dell & Schaefer to help her recover damages for her injuries. The firm’s litigation department filed a lawsuit against the owner and driver of the van. The insurance company for the defendant alleged that our client had stopped, started, and then stopped again suddenly. Depositions were taken of the driver and his passenger, and both appeared to be unreliable witnesses.

As a result of the discovery, we were able to obtain a settlement for our client of $130,000. This settlement included compensation for her pain and suffering, along with covering payment of her outstanding medical bills.