$725,000 Nashville Rear-End Collision Settlement

The Hughes & Coleman team recently obtained a $725,000 settlement for a Tennessee man who was involved in a rear-end collision in Nashville. Our client was travelling in a work vehicle at a normal speed when another driver, allegedly driving above the speed limit, approached from behind and rear-ended him. This collision caused a snowball effect that would ultimately cause our client’s health to deteriorate rapidly and impact him in every aspect of his life.

Injured Victim’s Background

Our client, like many of our clients, was a hardworking and dedicated individual living outside of Nashville, Tennessee. He was in his early 50s and employed by the city under Nashville Metro’s water service division. As a dependable blue-collar worker, he spent 33 years of his life doing the same job so he could put food on the table. His work was often physically demanding, requiring him to lift and carry heavy objects, access tight spaces, and operate heavy equipment to clean city drain lines. His job wasn’t always easy, but he enjoyed staying active and the sense of purpose it gave him.

The Rear-End Car Accident Collision in Nashville, TN

In 2017, during his shift, our client was driving down I-440 through Nashville. It was raining, and our client, operating a company vehicle, was travelling at a consistent speed. Another vehicle quickly approached our client from behind, travelling at a high rate of speed. Without warning or braking, the vehicle slammed into our client, causing a rear-end collision.

Car Accident Injury Treatment

Following the collision, our client experienced severe back and knee pain, so he went to the hospital the next day and received steroid injections to alleviate the pain. The injections, however, would ultimately cause more harm than good. Our client tried to return to work in the following days, but his coworkers noticed him falling on more than one occasion. Worse, he was still in pain. His coworkers convinced him to return to the hospital, which is where he would soon learn the injections had caused serious complications. He was hospitalized for 5 days following the discovery. An MRI showed an abscess at the L4-L5 facet joint of his spine, where he had received an injection for his pain. He underwent an L4-L5 left hemilaminectomy in January of 2018 to try to alleviate the pain and pressure he was experiencing and to prevent further complications. Following surgery, he began a months-long physical therapy regimen to try to get back to where he was prior to the accident.  However, this was unsuccessful, and our client didn’t experience much relief.

A lifelong dedicated worker, our client attempted to go back to his job. However, he discovered upon his return that he could no longer perform his job duties in the same capacity. Even getting in and out of the work vehicle caused pain in his back and knees, and the aspects of his job that were more physically-demanding were out of the question.

Further medical intervention was needed. In 2020, our client had his second spinal surgery: an L4-L5 laminectomy. While doctors hoped this would be the solution to his ongoing medical issues, this surgery would also be largely unsuccessful. Following both surgeries, extensive physical therapy, and attempts at pain management, his doctor declared he would no longer be able to work. To make matters worse, this wouldn’t be the last surgery our client would undergo.

He continued physical therapy, desperate to find relief, but he made very little progress. He was having trouble walking, and he was still in immense pain. He was experiencing numbness in his leg, and it would occasionally lock up and prevent him from moving. Even so, our client remained hopeful, ever optimistic and proud of any progress he could make.

Further Setbacks of Pain and Trauma

Despite his best efforts, weeks turned into months, and his condition was not improving. Shortly after his last surgery, our client lost his balance when his leg once again locked up. He fell to the ground and was taken to the hospital, where doctors determined he had fractured his back and was initially paralyzed from the chest down. He was rushed into emergency surgery, where he underwent a C2-T8 posterior fusion and had plates and screws put into his spine. Following surgery, our client regained most of the feeling he had lost. However, he would still contend with severe injuries, and he would need to spend the next couple of months in a rehabilitation facility learning to walk again. Even so, his mobility would never be the same, and he would have to rely heavily on a walker and a wheelchair.

His story would only continue to become more tragic. On the day of his fall, our client’s older brother passed away suddenly from a massive heart attack. Our client was unable to attend his brother’s funeral due to his own hospitalization. His brother, who he called his hero, was only 64. The wreck that had taken our client’s health and independence had now robbed him of the opportunity to say goodbye to his own sibling.

Over the course of a few years, our client had undergone a great deal of pain and trauma. A former blue-collar worker with decades of experience in his field, now had very limited mobility and was unable to work. He couldn’t enjoy life as he once did – hobbies he loved, like playing basketball, were no longer accessible to him. His independence, his dignity, and his livelihood were all lost. The life he once had was stolen from him before he reached 60 – all because of the actions of a reckless driver.

Negotiations That Lead to a $750,000 Nashville Car Accident Settlement

The defense originally offered a measly $65,000 for our client, citing his age as the reason for his pain. However, this was an outrageous claim. Our client had worked reliably for 33 years and was a dedicated employee of Metro Nashville. He rarely, if ever, missed a day of work; our client’s sudden departure from the workforce stood only as a testament to the amount of pain he was in due to the incident.

Our team headed to mediation – the first of three attempts to reconcile with the defense. At this mediation, it was clear early on that a resolution would not be made. However, the defense team noted that a $275,000 settlement was not out of the question. A second mediation was scheduled.

By the second attempt at mediation, the defense team once again increased their offer, bringing $375,000 to the table. A significant jump from even the last round of mediation, this offer was a good sign for our client’s case. However, given the nature of what our client had gone through, our team wanted to push for more. Our client agreed, and again, we rejected the defense team’s offer.

A final attempt at mediation was set for 2023. Our client knew that this would be the last chance to negotiate with the defense before we would need to take the case to trial. The defense team was steadfast in their position that our client’s health problems were due to his age, but Hughes & Coleman attorney Joe Griffith knew better. He, along with the rest of our team, knew our client. We knew his work ethic, his history, and his good nature. His health issues didn’t begin until after the collision, and he was experiencing real pain as a direct result of the crash. Hughes & Coleman knew what our client’s case was worth. The mediation was successful, and our client walked away with a $750,000 settlement for his injuries – over ten times the initial insurance offer.

If You’ve Been Injured in a Wreck, a Car Accident Attorney at Hughes & Coleman Can Help

Our client’s story is, without a doubt, tragic. A rear-end collision in Nashville has changed the trajectory of his life. He will never regain the mobility he once had. He will never be able to return to his career, a job he held for over 30 years. After multiple surgeries, many hospital visits, months of physical therapy, and extensive rehabilitation, he is still only a shadow of his former self. Arguably just as tragic, his injuries prevented him from saying his final goodbyes to his older brother. His health, his independence, and closure with a sibling he looked up to – these are all things our client can never get back. However, with a fair settlement, he will at least be able to move forward with his life without the looming burden of unpaid medical bills or lost wages. While a settlement doesn’t solve everything, it can help our client live a more comfortable life. Helping this client was an honor, and we’re grateful to have been able to get a favorable outcome on his case.

As tragic as his story is, situations like his are far too common. Our team hears similar narratives of pain and suffering each day from those who sustain serious injuries caused by negligence. In 2022, traffic fatalities in Nashville increased by nearly 3%. Distracted driving and reckless driving continues to injure and kill thousands each year.

Every car accident lawyer on our team is dedicated to representing those who have been wronged by someone else’s negligence. We fight the insurance companies to get what our clients truly deserve, and we don’t stop until we get the best possible outcome for their case.

If you’ve been injured in a rear-end collision or in any other type of wreck, our team is here to help. Get Hughes & Coleman and Get It Done.

Call us today at 800-800-4600 or fill out a free case evaluation form.