When you’ve been in a car crash, healing from your injuries can be challenging when it appears the insurance policy of the at-fault vehicle is a small one. With costs piling up, the idea of a small settlement can feel like another blow on your path to recovery. But, sometimes, things aren’t quite what they seem, and there may be an avenue for you to recover more than you think. One of our recent clients was a passenger involved in a two-car accident that left her dealing with painful injuries in both her knees. We were informed that the driver of the at-fault vehicle only had the minimum insurance of $25,000. We were litigating to attempt to hold the other vehicle partially responsible, but it appeared we might be limited to $25,000 only for the client. Our client was in extreme pain and wound up needing four surgeries in total after the accident. She tried arthroscopic surgeries in both of her knees, which failed, leading her to go in for bilateral knee replacement surgeries. During the deposition of the at-fault driver, he explained that he was delivering wines for a big company using his personal vehicle that day. We used that information to contact the wine company, whose insurance company thereafter accepted the claim. Unlike the driver, who personally insured his vehicle for the minimum of $25,000, the wine company was insured for $1 million. OUR CLIENT’S JOURNEY FROM DESPAIR TO EXCELLENT SETTLEMENT When Minimum Insurance Isn’t Enough
Have you ever heard about the teenager who decided to clean the ocean? Meet Boyan Slat, the eco-warrior who founded The Ocean Cleanup at 18. His story of innovation and determination shows how one big idea can make waves worldwide. Boyan’s journey began unexpectedly at 16 during a scuba diving trip in Greece. Instead of marveling at exotic marine life, he was shocked to find more plastic floating around than fish. This unsettling experience sparked a burning question in his young mind: “Why don’t we just clean it up?” That question didn’t disappear with the ocean currents; it followed him home to Delft, the Netherlands, and propelled him into action. Turning his curiosity into a high school science project, Boyan faced countless reasons why cleaning the ocean was “impossible.” Not satisfied with just understanding the problem, he started experimenting with solutions. He envisioned a passive system that would use the ocean currents to gather plastic on its own — essentially, setting a trap for the plastic to come to him rather than chasing after it. After presenting his initial ideas at a conference in 2012 and barely scratching the surface of his aerospace engineering studies at TU Delft, Boyan decided to go further. With just 300 euros of savings and a sea of passion, he founded The Ocean Cleanup and dropped out of school. The big break came when his video talk went viral overnight, raised $90,000 through crowdfunding, and recruited a motivated team. By April 2013, Boyan launched his first Indiegogo campaign with a spirit that matched the ocean’s vastness: “I don’t know if it’s possible, and that’s exactly the reason I’m doing it.” Fast-forward to 2023, and The Ocean Cleanup has removed an astonishing 5.4 million pounds of trash from the ocean and even turned some of that recovered plastic into 25,000 pairs of sunglasses! So, next time you think you’re too young or your ideas are too ambitious, just remember Boyan Slat and his ocean-cleaning dream. It’s a reminder that sometimes, you just need to set a wide net to catch a big dream. And who knows? You might just clean up a whole ocean along the way. Teen Turns the Tide on Ocean Trash Boyan Slat’s Inspiring Journey to Clean Our Seas
The case went from a $25,000 case to a case we were able to settle for a substantial sum thanks in large part to the information which we acted on after the deposition. Our client was ecstatic, and after everything she went through with her knee injuries, we’re proud we uncovered a pathway to the money she deserved. Even if you believe coverage might not be available after an injury, you never know what could happen during a case. Here at Friedman & Simon, we are creative and will help unturn every stone possible and try every avenue to help our client’s recover for their injuries. If you have been hurt in an accident, contact us today.
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