Neuhardt Law Firm's Success Stories of 2010

Looking back over some of this year’s more interesting cases

It’s been another interesting year here at Neuhardt law. Some of the cases feel familiar – passengers who are injured in single-vehicle crashes – and others are new, like the “pack of dogs” attack. We can’t release the dollar amounts for the settlements, these are confidential. I’ve also removed any identifying information to protect client privacy.

If nothing else, this partial list of the cases we handle should make drivers aware that serious injury accidents are a part of life here in Billings. Unfortunately, tragedies happen every day in Montana, and they don’t always make the news, other than a short paragraph or two. With the holidays fast approaching, be aware, be safe. And be very careful about getting in any motor vehicle when the driver is impaired.

January 26, 2010- Settled for Confidential six figure amount. We represented three teenage boys that where passengers in a vehicle that was drag racing. The teen that was driving ran a stop sign and crashed head-on into another vehicle. My clients suffered numerous, life-long injuries.

This case mirrored a couple of others from the past – one in 2008 and another in 2009 -- where passengers were injured when impaired drivers crashed their own vehicles. Both settled for six figures as well.

March 4, 2010- Settled for Confidential six figure amount. We represented a young woman whose car was stuck on the driver’s side as she drove through an intersection. The accident damaged her knee and caused a traumatic brain injury. We are still pressing a claim against her car insurance company for not paying her medical bills in a timely manner.

This case parallels one from September of last year (which also settled for a six figure amount) where we represented a woman who was traveling through an intersection when she was t-boned after the defendant ran a red light. Her spleen was injured in the accident and she underwent a splenectomy.

March 29, 2010- Settled for Confidential five figure amount. We represented a woman who was hit from behind when she slowed down to turn into her driveway. The force of the crash threw the car onto a neighbor’s front lawn. The other driver stopped, got out of her car and looked at my client through the car window. She then jumped back in her car and drove off. A witness followed her and called 911. The tort was under the influence of alcohol and before the police came, crashed her car into the side of a building. She was arrested that day for her 2nd drunk driving incident.

May 4, 2010- Settled for Confidential six figure amount. We represented a family that lost their son. He was killed while riding his motorcycle by a vehicle that pulled out in front of him. The driver of the other vehicle was under the influence of drugs at the time of the accident.

June 24, 2010- Settled for Confidential five figure amount. We represented a woman that was attacked by her neighbor’s three dogs. My client suffered injuries to her leg and had post traumatic stress disorder as result of the attack.

July 2010- Settled for Confidential eight figure settlement amount – We represented a middle aged woman with a teenage daughter who was a victim of horrible medical malpractice. Our client was in the ICU of a hospital when her oxygen supply was cut off. She was trapped in her hospital bed at the mercy of the doctors and staff as she slowly started to die. By the time her oxygen was restored she suffered severe permanent brain damage. She was in the hospital for almost 4 years before she was finally able to leave.

June 14, 2010- Settled for Confidential six figure amount.We represented a young woman and a young man that were involved in a single roll-over accident. They were passengers in a truck driven by a young man who was drinking while driving. While travelling on back roads to Billings, the driver lost control of the truck and overcorrected, causing the vehicle to flip. As a result of the accident, one client’s back was broken and she had to have a rod implanted. The other had a fractured disc in his back.

November 11, 2010- Settled for Confidential six figure amount. We represented the family of a 4 year old boy that was killed instantly in a motor vehicle accident. The boy was in the backseat on the passenger side of the vehicle. The driver pulled out and was hit by a motorcycle. The motorcycle was traveling at a high rate of speed and the rider was high on marijuana.

Alcohol and drug use continue to cause a great deal of damage If I had to pick a theme, it would be that operating a few thousand pounds of metal at high (or even low) speeds is a recipe for tragedy.

Lock the car; take the keys; call a cab. You can even do what some creative people do: set up a tow from the bar or the party. You can get Hansers or another tow company to take you and your car back home. There’s no risk of a ticket or an accident, and when you wake up the next day, your car is in the driveway.

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