We represented an elderly couple involved in a significant crash in Palm Beach County, Florida. Their nursing aide was driving their vehicle at the time of the collision, which happened at a major intersection where the traffic signal was out due to storms. With the light blinking red in all directions, every driver approaching the intersection was required to come to a complete stop before proceeding. When both drivers failed to treat the stop as a 4-way stop, the resulting crash caused significant injuries to the couple.
KL was retained soon after the crash and immediately sent an expert to the storage yard where our clients’ vehicle was being held to download the data from its Event Data Recorder, or “black box.”
Both clients also had multiple pre-existing medical conditions, which made their recovery much more difficult.
Within nine months of the crash, KL secured a combined settlement of over $400,000 for both clients, maximizing the available policy limits.
Key Takeaways
- A vehicle was involved in a serious crash at a blinking red light caused by a storm outage.
- KL immediately sent an expert to download the vehicle’s Event Data Recorder data.
- Both clients suffered significant injuries complicated by pre-existing medical conditions.
- KL secured a combined settlement for both clients within nine months.
- The settlement exhausted the full $400,000 in available policy limits.
Why Black Box Data Mattered in This Crash
When a traffic signal fails and reverts to a blinking red light, every driver is required to stop before entering the intersection, which means fault often comes down to who actually did, and who didn’t. KL moved quickly to preserve the Event Data Recorder data from our clients’ vehicle before it could be lost or overwritten.
That data helped establish exactly what happened in the moments before impact, removing uncertainty about how the crash occurred.
How KL Secured Full Policy Limits for Two Injured Clients
Representing two injured clients from the same household required documenting each person’s injuries and how their pre-existing medical conditions complicated recovery.
KL built a complete picture of both clients’ damages and moved efficiently, resolving the case within nine months and securing a combined settlement that exhausted the full $400,000 in available policy limits.
FAQs
When a traffic signal is blinking red in all directions, every driver must come to a complete stop and proceed only when it is safe, similar to a four-way stop.
An Event Data Recorder captures data such as speed, braking, and impact forces in the moments before and during a crash, which can be critical evidence in disputed cases.
Yes. A crash that worsens an existing condition or complicates recovery can still support a significant injury claim.
It means the settlement equals the full amount of insurance coverage available, which is often the maximum recovery possible from that policy.
