Truck Accident

Nearly 20 Times the Insurer’s Opening Offer After a Commercial Vehicle Rear-End Crash

Attorney Mahsa Kashkooly secured a $450,000 settlement for a client who was rear-ended by a commercial vehicle while stopped in traffic. The at-fault driver admitted to the responding officer that they had fallen asleep at the wheel, causing a three-car chain reaction. The airbags deployed and paramedics were called to the scene. There was no real dispute over who caused the crash.

WHY THE OFFER FELL SHORT

Despite clear liability, the insurer opened with an offer of just $23,000. Our client’s car was declared a total loss valued at more than $24,000, so the offer wouldn’t even have replaced the vehicle, let alone covered any medical bills. Insurers know that injury victims sometimes accept early offers because the number sounds like a windfall, especially when they’re facing mounting expenses and missed work.

HOW THE CASE WAS WON

Attorney Kashkooly, working with pre-litigation paralegal Hannia Amador and litigation paralegal Oneal Valenzuela, filed a lawsuit and documented the full extent of what our client had lost. While continuing to negotiate, the team prepared the case as if it were headed to trial. That preparation shifted the negotiation, and the insurer agreed to pay $450,000.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is unique.