$1.5 Million Settlement from Commercial Trucking Carrier in Auto Accident

Walsh, Knippen & Cetina secured a $1.5 million settlement for husband-and-wife plaintiffs severely injured in a multi-vehicle accident in Kentucky.

Our clients’ vehicle was one of many cars involved in an accident when a semi-tractor trailer careened into stalled traffic. They each sustained concussions and several fractures. There were many parties in different states and Walsh, Knippen & Cetina attorneys had to fight and win defense motions to transfer the case and defense motions to apply less-favorable law from other states. The attorneys of Walsh, Knippen & Cetina, in conjunction with trusted St. Louis counsel, were able to maximize the family’s recovery and compensate them for their significant injuries and lost wages.

Walsh, Knippen & Cetina, Chartered settled a case for a client who was a foreign national in the United States on a working visa who was killed when his car crashed after the driver lost control on an Indiana highway. The issue in this case revolved around the question of whether the driver was acting as the agent for his employer at the time of the crash or was only on a personal vacation trip. The settlement represented the full amount of the insurance policies available to the driver and his employer.

Circuit Court of Cook County, IL

Jim Knippen went to jury trial on a herniated disc case in an automobile crash case. A 36-year-old mother was struck from behind by a passenger van and suffered a herniated disc in her back. Because of a fear of doctors, she sought no medical treatment for seven months after the crash. The insurance company for the van driver refused to offer any money, claiming that her condition was not caused by the crash but because of the long delay before any treatment was sought. Walsh, Knippen & Cetina, Chartered was able to convince the jury that the injury did occur at the time of the collision, and she received $480,000 after trial. This was more than four times the amount of the van driver’s insurance coverage, an amount the plaintiff was willing to accept before the trial. A DuPage County attorney received a referral fee on this case.

Circuit Court of Will County Case Number 95 L 4826

On May 22, 1995, a 38 year-old woman was catastrophically injured when a truck being driven by an employee of R. A. Bright Construction Company crossed the center line and collided with her automobile head-on. As a result of the violent collision, she suffered severe and permanent orthopedic injuries, preventing her from continuing her previous employment as a network computer systems analyst.

Through the use of a professionally organized and conducted mock trial/focus group, Ed Walsh presented his case to a mock jury, prior to trial. The results of the mock trial jury verdict allowed the firm to negotiate a $1,900,000.00 settlement on behalf of our client. The settlement will allow the client to pursue her computer skills and enjoy those non-employment activities that are an important part of her life.

The use of mock trial/focus groups is another example of how our firm uses state-of-the-art, cutting-edge strategies to maximize jury verdicts and settlements for our needy clients.

By presenting select significant cases to mock juries/focus groups, our attorneys learn what aspects of their cases are weak and need further improvement, as well as those aspects of their cases that are powerful and extra-significant. In this way, the attorneys improve their trial lawyer skills and enhance the quality of our clients’ cases. As a result, our lawyers are more able to secure results for our clients, which will allow them to receive lifetime educational, medical, and rehabilitation care and provide for their lifetime financial security.