Victim Wins $460,000 Despite Pre-Existing Conditions

Jim, a retired police officer, was sitting at a stop light when he was suddenly rear-ended by a distracted driver. Luckily, Jim’s vehicle had a spare tire on the back, which took most of the impact.

Despite the fact that Jim’s vehicle was pushed halfway through the intersection by the impact, Jim’s vehicle suffered very little damage—something the insurance adjuster would point out several times. In fact, Jim’s vehicle suffered less than $700 of damage to the rear end.

Jim had pre-existing problems with his neck and lower back, but these issues were under control before the crash occurred. After the crash, it was a different story—Jim’s pain became unbearable.

Due to a combination of Jim’s pre-existing injuries and the low property damage, the other driver’s insurance adjuster threatened Jim with lowball offers (only a few thousand dollars). Instead of caving to those threats, Jim hired Blackwell Ruiz.

With us handling the empty threats of the insurance adjuster, Jim was able to focus on getting better—and in the end, the insurance company agreed to pay out $460,000.

Property Damage: $688
Settlement: $460,000