|
|
LA Woman Awarded $24.7 Million after Crash Collapses Her Car Seat Prock (Motorcycle) vs. Auto Driver - Sacramento County Superior Court Chairez vs. State of California Department of Parks and Recreation - Riverside County Superior Court: Case# 330478 Valentine/Smiddy vs. Wall Builder - Orange County Superior Court: Case# 80-41-55 Pafford vs. Del Monte - San Francisco County Superior Court: Case# CGC 03-422797 Ireland vs. Tortfeasor - Orange County Superior Court: Case# 06CC02205 Hernandez vs. CalTrans - Los Angeles County Superior Court: Case# KC033971 Casillas vs. CalTrans Contractors/State of California - Ventura County Superior Court: Case# CIV-207462 Darnell vs. Restaurant and Building Owner - Los Angeles County Superior Court: Case# NC020730 Aguilar vs. Insurance Company - Orange County Superior Court: Case# 00CC05689 Coffey (passenger) vs. Auto Driver - San Bernardino County Superior Court: Case# SCVSS147901 Sweigart vs. Metropolitan Transportation Authority - Los Angeles County Superior Court: Case# BC 584418 Hild vs. Edison Company - Los Angeles County Superior Court: Case# BC294734
|
|
On a normal, fully scheduled day, John Bisnar received an urgent call from a business associate, a local realtor. The caller frantically explained that her brother-in-law was in a Sacramento hospital, his doctors had recommended a complicated, risky surgery, and he was panicking about what would become of his family and about payment of the mounting medical expenses. She further explained that her brother-in-law was desperate to get answers from his attorney about these issues before consenting to surgery, that his attorney was not returning calls and his attorney had previously advised that his case was only worth $15,000, the maximum amount of insurance of the negligent automobile driver. Mr. Bisnar immediately spoke to the injured man and quickly realized that this was not a consultation to have over the phone. Mr. Bisnar canceled the rest of his day and took the next flight to Sacramento. Once Mr. Bisnar arrived at the hospital, the injured man explained that he was hit by a car while on his motorcycle in the course of running an errand for his employer. He said he had hired a nationally known motorcycle accident attorney and that the attorney advised him that the negligent driver's insurance limit was $15,000 and that was the total value of his claim. He went on to explain that his doctors had advised him that he could lose his leg (it was eventually saved). After Mr. Bisnar answered his questions, advised him regarding his Workers' Compensation benefits and explained that his attorney probably was right about the $15,000 value of his claim. The injured man asked to hire Mr. Bisnar, explaining that he had received more information from Mr. Bisnar about his circumstances, his rights, his options and the probable outcome of his case than he had received from his present attorney after weeks of representation. Mr. Bisnar reluctantly accepted. An immediate investigation uncovered that the negligent driver was a route salesman for a beer distributor and was probably on the job at the time of the accident (although the employer initially denied this). When the employer was advised of the results of the Bisnar investigation, the insurance company for the employer offered to settle the claim for a few hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Bisnar did settle the claim with the beer distributor. The total recovery included $750,000 in up front cash, all medical expenses paid, Workers' Compensation liens satisfied, and an income for life (future value of the "income for life" exceed $2,000,000). |
 |