In October 2005 JD was traveling on 15th Avenue in Auburn, Washington. As she approached the intersection of 15th and Super Mall Way, she slowed her vehicle, checked for traffic and proceeded to make a right hand turn from 15th to Super Mall Way, She then proceeded to get into the left lane with two other cars in front of her to turn left (the left and right lanes coming off of 15th street have the right of way). She then proceeded to make her left hand turn once making sure it was safe to do so. As she did JR, a teenaged driver, ran the stop sign on Super Mall Way and crashed into the left side of JD’s vehicle. Auburn Police responded to the accident scene and upon investigation cited JR for his negligence.
Washington law provides that the drivers on the road have the duty to exercise ordinary care and avoid causing a collision. See RCW 46.61.445 and Washington Pattern Jury Instruction (WPI) 70.01. JD did absolutely nothing to contribute to the cause of the crash and could do nothing to avoid the collision. JR was negligent when he failed to slow for traffic, was not attentive while driving her vehicle, and “t-boned” JD.
Substantial damage was done to the side of JD’s vehicle with repair costs exceeding $3,000.
As a direct result of JR’s negligence, JD sustained injuries to her head (constant headaches), neck, back, and shoulder. A summary of her injuries and treatment are outlined below.
• Cervical strain/sprain and subluxations with in tenderness, pain, muscle spasms, and limited range of motion. Whiplash injury with resultant ligamentous instability, acceleration of spinal disc disease, and radicular symptoms down arm into hand..
• Back strain/sprain and subluxations with tenderness, pain, muscle spasms, and limited range of motion (thoracic and lumbar regions) resulting in ligamentous instability and acceleration of spinal disc disease.
• Shoulder strain/sprain with pain, tenderness, muscle spasms and limited range of motion
• Headaches
• Sleep disturbances/fatigue
JD has received treatment for the injuries she sustained in the car accident at the following facilities:
Auburn Regional Medical Center
Cascade Emergency Physicians
Valley Radiologists
Outpatient PT at Auburn Multi-Care
Pacific Sports Medicine
Medical Imaging Northwest
Covington Multi-Care Imaging
JD was restricted from work by her physicians due to her ongoing injuries and treatment. As a result she lost income from her part-time job at a local retail store and lost almost $1,500 is potential income.
JD is a 23 year old married woman who enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her hobbies include music, movies, window shopping at various stores and antiques, and being active outdoors. But the accident made it difficult for her to work and to enjoy her normal activities. JD paid a considerable price financially, physically and emotionally, as direct result of the injuries she sustained in the collision. She sought payment for damages that were incurred as a result of the injuries she sustained in the car accident.
But Allstate Insurance’s (the other driver’s insurance company) claims adjustors were difficult to deal with so she hired personal injury attorney Chris Davis and the Davis Law Group to manage her insurance claim, deal with insurance adjustors and negotiate a fair and reasonable settlement on her behalf. Because the Davis team handled her claim for her, JD was able to focus on recovering from her injuries and getting her life back on track.