Levinson Axelrod, P.A. Attorney Kelley Lavery recently secured $250K in compensation through two policy limits settlements for a victim who was injured in a multi-vehicle car accident on Interstate 78.
The result stems from a collision on a rainy afternoon in August 2019. Our client, a 59-year-old woman, had been driving in the far-right eastbound lane of Interstate 78 in Clinton Township, New Jersey.
As a vehicle to her left was overtaking her in the center lane, the vehicle in the far-left lane lost control and struck the vehicle in the middle lane which, in turn, suddenly and unexpectedly left the center lane, came into our client’s lane, and crashed into the driver’s side of her vehicle. Our client applied her brake and turned her steering wheel to the left to avoid being driven off the road and into the guardrail.
As a result of the crash, our client suffered neck injuries and an aggravation of a pre-existing artificial disc that necessitated a cervical disc replacement surgery.
Ultimately, Attorney Lavery was able to recover the full liability policy covering the at-fault vehicle, which was $100,000. He additionally recovered another $150,000 from our client’s insurance carrier through an underinsured motorist claim. This was the full policy limit of the underinsured motorist coverage and brought the total recovery to $250,000.
This recovery will help our client cover her medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages incurred as a result of her injuries. It also illustrates the importance of carrying uninsured / underinsured motorist (UM / UIM), which can help provide additional money to victims whose damages exceed the available policy limits of at-fault drivers or who are injured by uninsured motorists.
Kelley W. Lavery is an Associate at Levinson Axelrod, P.A. who focuses his practice on motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, municipal liability, insurance coverage disputes, and serious injuries. A former prosecutor and civil defense lawyer, Mr. Lavery leverages his insight and litigation experience to effectively advocate for victims with complex injury claims.