Our Clients’ Stories – Personal Injury
The Client Other Lawyers Turned Away
After a woman was hurt in a slip-and-fall accident, the insurance company offered her just $5,000. Realizing that she required more compensation than that for the injuries she had suffered, the woman decided to seek the help of a lawyer.
The first attorney she saw recommended that she simply accept the insurance company’s meager offer. She was turned away from the second law office she visited.
Finally, the woman contacted our office. She told Russell Nicolet her story, and he asked follow-up questions that revealed there was likely more to the injury case. We enthusiastically took the woman on as our client and immediately started investigating her situation.
We hired a building inspector who examined the location where our client was injured. What did he find? A design defect in the building was directing water where it should not, causing the slippery surface that led to our client’s injuries.
With this knowledge in hand, we filed a lawsuit and ultimately recovered nearly $200,000 for our client. She was pleased not only with the result but also with the fact that we treated her situation seriously and took the time to actually listen to her concerns.
Something Just Wasn’t Right, And She Needed Help
A woman underwent a medical procedure and ended up being injured in the process. She believed the injuries resulted from the procedure being done incorrectly.
She understood that taking on such a claim against a hospital or medical provider would be nearly impossible without the help of the right lawyer, so she contacted several and eventually hired one. This attorney investigated the claim and then dropped the case.
Despite this, the woman still felt that what had happened to her just was not right. She was not deterred by her previous attorney dropping the case – she was determined to find someone who would advocate for her and help her set things right. The woman reached out to our office, and after an initial review of the facts, we accepted her case.
Adam Nicolet obtained all of the relevant medical records and test results and then brought in a doctor to examine these documents in detail. We also ordered and reviewed the pathology report, which turned out to be a crucial piece of evidence that allowed us to build a strong case backed by science and medical facts.
In the end, our client’s courage to keep fighting and our thorough review of the case resulted in a six-figure settlement for our client.
She Was Stuck With Medical Bills And A Damaged Vehicle, Then We Stepped In To Help
A woman and her two passengers were passing through an intersection when they were hit by another vehicle. The car was damaged and the woman was injured.
The woman and both passengers were certain that they had a green light at the time of the car accident, meaning that the driver who hit them ran a red light.
Despite this, the woman was stuck with massive medical bills and no money to repair her car. Why? She did not have insurance, and when she sought compensation from the other driver’s insurance company (because she maintained that he was at fault for the accident), it refused to offer her anything.
Needing help, the woman turned to Nicolet Law Office Accident & Injury Lawyers. After sitting down and discussing her situation, we quickly realized we could help her seek the funds she needed to pay for her medical care and vehicle repairs.
We filed a lawsuit on her behalf and collected as much evidence as possible, the most important being the other driver’s cellphone and text message records. These records showed that the driver was texting at the time of the accident. Upon learning this, Russell Nicolet conducted a deposition to get testimony from that driver. He asked piercing questions that led to the driver’s admission that he had been texting while driving through the intersection.
The driver’s father and attorney were present during the deposition, and when the driver admitted to texting while driving, they immediately stopped the deposition, took him from the room and claimed that he was “confused.” If you’ve ever seen a television show where the opposing attorney quickly interjects “my client has no comment!” and leaves, it was a very similar situation.
After the driver’s admission at the deposition, the case quickly settled. Our client received payment for her vehicle repair, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
Innovation And Attention To Detail Maximized The Compensation Our Clients Received
Two people were injured in a rollover accident that was caused by another driver. That driver fled the scene and could not be found, so the injured people had to file a claim with their own insurance company. They wanted to be sure that they were treated fairly – even when dealing with their own insurance carrier – so they reached out to Nicolet Law Office and became our clients.
We helped them understand that even though they would be working with their own insurance company, that company had more than just their interests in mind – it also had to consider its bottom line, which could impact the compensation they would receive. We assured them that we did not have such competing interests and were there to put 100 percent of our support behind them.
Their insurance company eventually offered them the maximum policy limits – based on the limit set by law at the time. Something seemed wrong about this, so we researched the applicable law and dug a bit deeper. We found that at the time of the accident, the maximum policy limit was higher than what the insurance company had offered our clients. The law had changed, lowering the policy limits between the time of the accident and the time of the settlement offer, and the insurance company was offering this lower amount.
Attorney Russell Nicolet did not believe this was right, so he engaged in extensive negotiations with the insurance company and filed legal arguments stating that our clients were covered by the higher policy limit. His arguments were convincing, and our clients received twice the original offer.
Additionally, Russell used an innovative legal theory to negotiate with the insurer that had paid the clients’ medical bills to accept only 20 percent of the amount owed. By doubling the original settlement and significantly reducing the amount payable on the medical bills, Russell maximized our clients’ compensation as they rebuilt their lives after their injuries.
The Pedestrian Was Hit By A Vehicle While Crossing The Street And Pushed Aside By The Insurance Company
While walking to work a woman crossed the street at a crosswalk. A vehicle on the opposite side of the intersection pulled out from a stop sign, made a left-hand turn, and hit the woman while she was in the middle of the crosswalk.
The at-fault driver’s insurance company wanted to push the woman aside and offered her a measly settlement that did not even cover her medical bills or wage loss.
The first law office the woman saw told her that her case was not “valuable enough” for them to take.
The woman then turned to Nicolet Law for help. She told Benjamin Nicolet her story, and he immediately wanted to help her and set things right.
Benjamin ended up suing the at-fault driver and her insurance company, forcing them to come to the table and offer a fair settlement. The cards were now stacked in the client’s favor and the insurance company ended up paying the client’s medical bills, wage loss, and she got significant money in her pocket for her pain-and-suffering.
She was pleased not only with the result, but also with the fact that we treated her situation seriously and took the time to fight for her rights.
Slip And Fall On Ice At Gas Station. The Gas Station Wanted The Issue To Go Away, But We Wouldn’t Let Them Ignore Our Client.
A woman slipped on ice outside a gas station and landed awkwardly on a concrete vehicle stop that was protruding diagonally into the walkway causing severe injuries. The gas station attempted to push her aside and ignore the issue.
The woman turned to Nicolet Law for help. Benjamin Nicolet immediately dispatched an investigator to the scene. The investigator snapped photos of the ice, as well as the concrete vehicle stop that protruded across the walkway, and the roof drainpipe that drained water across the walkway creating dangerous and icy conditions.
Not only had the gas station failed to remove or remedy the icy conditions, but it had also violated a safety standard requiring vehicle stops to not be placed in pedestrian walkways.
To make matters more complicated, the client was also receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). If the client received a large settlement directly, she could be removed from SSI for having too much money. That would put her in a tough spot, as a settlement would help her now, but the SSI was necessary for her ongoing well-being.
Benjamin wanted to make sure his client got the settlement she deserved, but also wanted to protect her SSI benefits. Benjamin partnered with a local attorney to craft a special needs trust that would allow the client to receive a large settlement while also maintaining her SSI benefits.
This strategic approach ensured the client’s rights and SSI benefits were protected while also ensuring she received fair compensation for her injuries and medical bills.