Rear-end Collision Settles for $1M

Regardless of laws that have been put in place to prevent phone use while driving, distracted driving is causing more and more vehicle collisions. It’s difficult to maintain full attention on the road when engaged in conversations or while paying attention to a device. In the case of Khail Parris’ client, she was stopped about a car length behind another vehicle that was waiting for traffic to clear to make a left turn into a shopping center. An inexperienced driver, distracted by her phone, failed to notice the two stopped vehicles until it was too late. She began applying her brakes only about 10 feet from the client’s vehicle and crashed into her at a high rate of speed. This also caused the client to rear-end the vehicle stopped ahead of her, causing significant damage to both vehicles. Mr. Parris’ client sustained damage to her cervical spine requiring replacement of the disc between C4 and C5, as well as a fusion at C5-C6.  

Mr. Parris came to Focus Graphics to help him create graphics to show the defense that he was ready to take this case to trial if they didn’t settle. He wanted colorizations of the MRIs showing the disc herniations, as well as an animation of the surgery that his client had to undergo to correct the damage caused by the collision. We also then colorized the post-surgery X-rays showing the hardware that the client now has in her neck. There really was no question of fault as the defendant had admitted that she was not paying attention, but Mr. Parris wanted to maximize the settlement, and these were helpful in achieving that goal, settling for $1M. 

“Whether I expect a case to settle or go to trial, I almost always move forward with graphics prior to mediation to better show the defense that I know the value of my case and that I am prepared to put this in front of a jury. Working with Focus Graphics is easy because I have a good idea of what I want, so I can give them that basic idea and they run with it, providing everything I need. They have provided demonstratives for many of my cases and I haven’t been disappointed in the results. I highly recommend calling Seton and having his team work their magic for your next case.”

~Khail Parris, Esq., Lancaster, CA | Parris Law Firm