The California personal injury attorneys of BISNAR | CHASE recently prevailed in a jury trial against Lynch Ambulance, convincing a Los Angeles jury that a negligent ambulance driver and the company that employed him were liable for serious personal injuries sustained by two passengers –Tracy Mucklevane and Shawna Alonzo. Mucklevane's case had already been settled. Jurors awarded Shawna Alonzo, who was then a respiratory therapist at Children's Hospital of Orange County, $164,000 for her serious injuries.
Alonzo and Mucklevane, a pediatric nurse at CHOC, were passengers in an ambulance driven by Lynch employee Casey Brennan on October 17, 2006. Alonzo was sitting in the back with a lap belt to restrain her. Brennan fell asleep at the wheel. The front wheel of the ambulance hit the curb, causing the tires to separate from the wheels. Alonzo was jerked violently and struck her head on a metal gurney. Mucklevane also suffered injuries.
Car Accident Causes Serious Injuries
Alonzo sustained severe neck and upper back injuries in this Los Angeles car accident, which caused her to go on disability leave for four weeks. She had to undergo additional physical therapy and suffered severe symptoms such as frequent headaches, dizziness, depression, fatigue, insomnia, sciatic pain and neck pain, which radiated to her left arm.
Alonzo has struggled to care for her child, who has cerebral palsy. She was not only affected physically, but also psychologically and emotionally. She was unable to go back to work full-time. She had a fear of being in cars. Alonzo sought damages for her injuries, on-going treatment costs and loss of earnings as a result of the injuries.
Fair Compensation for Injuries and Loss
This case was rewarding for BISNAR | CHASE because the defendants, Lynch Ambulance, did not make a pre-trial offer and the jury's verdict was substantially more than what was initially demanded in the settlement. Personal injury lawyer, Scott Ritsema, who was part of our legal team rightly points out that it was an "excellent result for the client."
In this particular case, the jury saw, as we did, that ambulance driver Casey Brennan was at fault and this accident would not have occurred if not for his negligence. He was working in his capacity as a driver for the ambulance company, which made his employer liable for Alonzo and Mucklevan's injuries. The jury apparently also saw Alonzo's pain, suffering, distress and financial loss as a result of this accident and the injuries suffered. We are extremely pleased that we were able to secure the best possible result in this case for our client. For California car accident victims, the money is a tremendous help to pay off pending medical bills, pay costs of continuing treatment and therapy and to help offset wage losses, especially in this tough economy. We wish Shawna Alonzo and her family the very best. We will continue to pray for her complete recovery.
SLS Consulting