Car Accident Client Story

Bob Myatt
Car Accident - $100,000 Settlement from Insurance Company

Auto Accident Victim Thankful For Efficiency and Sensitivity

It was a drive Bob Myatt wishes he had never embarked on. The Fresno resident had bought a new Toyota Prius. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and he was driving on the foothills of the Sierras. He decided to climb up the mountain in his Prius wondering what kind of mileage it would give him.

Myatt never found out. Half way up the hill, about two miles away from Lake Shaver, the driver of a pickup truck who took a wide turn and was traveling over the speed limit slammed into Myatt's Prius head-on from the opposite direction.

"All I saw was that I was making the turn and I was staring at the grill of a pickup truck," he said.

The last thing he told himself at the time was: "I'm dead."

That auto accident occurred Oct. 1, 2006. Myatt was taken first to Clovis and later to a hospital in Modesto. He was in bad shape. His leg was broken in 15 places under his knee. He suffered severe concussions and couldn't lift his head for days. That said, Myatt realized that he could very well have been dead in what was a very serious auto accident.

The batteries under the hybrid car had exploded because of the high-impact head-on collision. There was no fire, but Myatt heard from emergency response personnel that there was a lot of smoke from the battery explosion and that he was indeed lucky to be alive.

But when he started thinking coherently, Myatt realized that a whole new set of challenges lay ahead of him. Now that he had survived, he had to find a way to live the rest of his life. He needed care, resources and most importantly, money to pay for all the surgeries and therapy he needed. When Myatt was in the hospital, he realized his insurance didn't really cover him the way he thought it would.

"All the time, I thought my insurance would take care of me if something happened to me," he said. "But what I didn't realize was that my insurance protected the other guy. His insurance is the one that covers me. Now, where was I to find this guy? And what was he going to give me?"

Although it was the other driver's fault, Myatt was the one stuck with the medical bills and payments. Where was he going to go for the money?

Myatt knew right away that he needed the best personal injury attorney he could find. So he got on the Internet and did a search for "best attorney." That's how he found Bisnar Chase, whose URL is www.bestattorney.com. It sure was a coincidence, but Myatt says he's glad he bumped into the firm, which got him out of a serious predicament.

The first person Myatt spoke to was Shannon Barker. She basically told him the firm would probably not take his case. But she impressed Myatt immensely with her knowledge, caring attitude and sensitivity.

"Even after she told me they can't take my case, she stayed on the phone and gave me some very good tips," he said. "I knew right then that I was talking to a sharp, intelligent and caring person. I knew this is whom I wanted to represent me."

Myatt, himself a tough salesman, said he was thoroughly impressed by her professionalism and kindness.

"It takes a lot to impress me," he said. "In my long career I've met with a lot of high-powered managers and executives. All I can say is that Shannon's dynamite and I wish she were working for me."

Myatt was persistent and pleaded with her to take on his case. Barker then asked him to send his papers and later told him that the firm would handle his case. Then, he got a call from the firm's founding partner, John Bisnar. After the conversation Myatt was convinced that Bisnar Chase was the firm for him.

"I was very much impressed by John Bisnar," Myatt said. "The thing that appealed to me honestly was he didn't blow a lot of smoke like other attorneys do. He was cordial, professional, courteous and just very nice. I could immediately tell he was very sharp and knew his stuff. I was very impressed by his honesty."

Myatt says Bisnar Chase, within weeks, was able to locate the person who hit him, but the bad news was the man lived in a mobile home in a rural area. However, he had $100,000 worth of insurance coverage, which is what Bisnar Chase helped him secure.

"Bisnar Chase really helped me out where I could have been left with nothing," Myatt said. "I was in a position where the medical bills were piling up out of control. I was very close to becoming bankrupt."

Not only that, but instead of taking the usual 33%, Bisnar Chase only took 25% as "their cut," Myatt said.

"That of course left me with more money than I would have gotten otherwise," he said. "At this point, every little bit helped me out a lot."

What really impressed Myatt was when John Bisnar initially told him that the firm would represent him although there was a good chance that they would end up with nothing because of the financial status of the negligent driver.

"How could I ask for more from an attorney who tells me that he will take my case no matter what?" he said.

The path to getting what he wanted was arduous, Myatt said. He had to take almost a year off work and still doesn't know when and how he can get back. The accident caused him severe emotional trauma. Myatt says he is terrified and afraid to drive again. But having Bisnar Chase, especially Barker, on his side was a tremendous comfort.

"But Shannon was there with me right through it," he said. "Without her and without Bisnar Chase, I would never have been able to pick up the pieces of my life together after the most traumatic experience of my life."

Be on the Hit-and-Run Lookout

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BISNAR | CHASE 2006-2010 Super Lawyers names outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. BISNAR | CHASE has received this award for five consecutive years. Brian Chase was named one of the 2010 Top 50 Orange County Lawyers.