Allstate Pays Policy Limits After Rear-End Crash
A driver and his passenger were on their way to work in the pre-dawn hours when they stopped at a convenience store. As they pulled out of the convenience store parking lot and turned right onto LA Highway 384, they traveled approximately 122 feet and were struck from the rear by a Ford F150 truck. The force of the collision propelled Plaintiffs’ truck 202 feet forward, rolled it over, after which it came to rest in a ditch.
Both Plaintiffs were men in their 30’s, working as welders. Plaintiff driver was hospitalized for three days. He sustained a grade 3 splenic laceration, multiple lumbar spine transverse process fractures, and bruises to his chest and abdomen. He returned to his work as a welder in two weeks.
Plaintiff passenger was hospitalized for sixteen days. He sustained lacerations to the scalp and face, a right parietal bone fracture, a sternal fracture, a mandible fracture, a scapular fracture, a left tibial fracture, a left humeral fracture, and muscular and nerve damage to the left shoulder. He underwent surgeries for fixation of the left humeral fracture and left tibial fracture. He also required surgery for incision, drainage, and debridement of the scalp and facial lacerations. He returned to work as a welder in three months.
The investigating State Trooper cited the Plaintiff driver for failure to yield. The other driver was cited for careless operation. A download of the crash data recorder from Defendant’s Ford truck showed that when Plaintiffs pulled out onto the highway the Ford F150 truck was traveling 86 mph, whereupon it accelerated to 96 mph at the point of collision.
HOW WE HELPED THE PLAINTIFF
Plaintiffs obtained a Motion for Summary Judgment against Defendant on the issue of liability. The Third Circuit Court of Appeal reversed. While Plaintiffs’ writ application was pending at the Louisiana Supreme Court, the case settled for the available policy limits and legal interest in the total sum of $1,543,969.18.
Trapp, et al. v. Martin and Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company, No. 2017-2028, 14th JDC, Calcasieu Parish, 10/18 Plaintiffs’ Counsel: Steven Broussard, Aaron Broussard, and Randall E. Hart of Broussard Knoll Law Firm, LLC, Lake Charles Plaintiffs’ experts: Nicholas M. Kasner, crash data retrieval technician and analyst, A&M Forensics and Engineering, Inc., College Station, TX; Dr. Larry Stokes, vocational rehabilitation, Metairie.
The recovery we made for these two welders not only relieved them from the tremendous medical bills they incurred but gave them the financial security they needed in the future as a result of their serious injuries.
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“When you hire Broussard Knoll Law Firm law firm you are not treated like you are just a client, they treat you like a friend. They truly want to help you get the best result from an unfortunate situation. No one wants to be in a position to have to hire a lawyer, but if you ever need one, you can be confident that when you hire Broussard Knoll Law Firm, you are hiring the best. Steven Broussard and his paralegal, Rachel, kept me informed throughout my case and I never had to worry about anything. I knew they were taking care of me.”
– Broussard Knoll Law Firm client
STEVEN BROUSSARD
Partner – Trial Lawyer
After graduating from law school in 1977, Steve entered solo practice and for eight years handled virtually every type of case imaginable – from murder cases to divorces to wrongful death civil actions. After eight years, Steve ran for and was elected Judge for the Ward 4 Sulphur City Court. At that point in his practice, Steve began limiting his cases to those involving personal injury. During the 18 years that Steve served as Judge, he maintained a heavy caseload of personal injury cases in his private practice by working long hours.
In 2002, Steve retired from the Judgeship and now practices full-time, handling serious injury and death cases. The knowledge and experience that Steve gained through serving as a judge for 18 years is an invaluable asset to him in representing victims in serious injury and death cases. Steve understands firsthand not only the workings of a court from both the attorney’s viewpoint and the judge’s viewpoint, but he knows what it takes to impress a judge with the merits of a particular case.
Steven has developed a reputation for taking cases of seriously injured people that other attorneys have declined. Steve has used his creative thinking and ingenuity to recover millions of dollars in cases that other attorneys have rejected. Steve thrives on solving difficult legal issues that many lawyers would rather avoid.
“I remember my first meeting with these clients clearly. Even though they were busted up from head-to-toe, all they were worried about was getting back to work and take care of their families. That’s the kind of people we like to help.”
AARON BROUSSARD Trapp v. Martin and Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Company