Most personal injury cases are settled without going to trial. But when the insurance company refuses to budge from a lowball offer, or chooses to dispute the circumstances of the accident or the seriousness of the resulting injuries, the law firm of Franklin D. Azar Accident Lawyers isn’t reluctant to take the case to a judge and jury.
This week we highlight two recent verdicts in northern Colorado — hard-earned courtroom victories obtained by attorneys determined to seek justice for their clients.
JURY AWARDS $112,000 IN LOVELAND CRASH
A rear-end collision in Loveland in 2020 left a 26-year-old emergency medical technician with hip, back, and head injuries. The other driver’s insurance company disputed that their driver was at fault for the crash and disputed that the Azar client’s injuries were serious or even a result of the crash. Their best offer before trial was less than 80% of the medical bills incurred by the Azar client, who experienced memory issues and other cognitive challenges following the crash.
A Larimer County jury awarded the Azar client $160,000 in compensation and found that the other driver was 70% at fault for the crash, reducing the amount of the award to $112,000 under Colorado’s comparative negligence law. The client was represented at trial by Azar attorney Dylan Unger. Unger expects the final amount recovered, including interest and costs, to be more than $150,000.
“I’m glad the jury recognized the severity of the head injury and the kind of impact that has on someone,” Unger says.
A Frank Azar attorney adds, “This was a hard-fought case. Justice persevered in the end, and we secured a victory for our client. Closing the book on a difficult chapter in our client’s life on a positive note is what it’s all about.”
HIGHWAY CRASH LEADS TO $176,000 VERDICT
In early 2021 the driver of a large Dodge truck failed to adjust to a traffic slowdown and struck the car ahead of him on I-25 near the Berthoud exit. The Azar client, a passenger in the rear-ended vehicle, was diagnosed with a concussion and neck and lower back injuries.
Although the truck driver took responsibility for the collision, the case was complicated by the Azar client’s participation in motorcross sports. She had been involved in a motorcycle accident ten months before the highway crash and another one a few weeks after the I-25 collision. The insurance company contended that her injuries were a result of a pre-existing condition (from the first motorcycle accident) or from subsequent trauma (the second motorcycle accident). But at trial Azar senior attorney DezaRae LaCrue presented medical records and expert testimony that indicated her client had been doing well before the rear-ender and was displaying symptoms of serious back injury before the second motorcycle accident.
The jury awarded the plaintiff $176,000; LaCrue says the judgment, with interest, now stands at $208,000 and will increase after she has filed for costs.
“With facts this complicated, things could have gone a different way,” LaCrue says. “The whole lesson here is that you’ve got to look closely at the medical records and be very detail-oriented.”
Tough cases. Determined advocacy. The Azar team won’t settle for less.
THE CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS AT FDAZAR
For more than thirty years the attorneys at Franklin D. Azar Accident Lawyers have helped thousands of injured people obtain complete and timely compensation for their losses. Our proven track record and expertise have allowed us to grow into the largest personal-injury law firm in Colorado, with offices in Denver, Aurora, Thornton, Grand Junction, Greeley, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and Pueblo. If you’ve been injured in a bus, car, truck, bicycle, or motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Please call the car accident attorneys at FDAzar day or night at 800-716-9032 or contact us here for a free consultation and no-obligation evaluation of your case.
