In February of 2017, Air Force Captain Jason Lo was stopped at a light in a Los Angeles suburb when his motorcycle was struck by a SoCalGas Company Truck. The driver, Dominick Consolazio, dragged Captain Lo and his motorcycle 430 feet before finally coming to a stop. Fortunately, Captain Lo survived, but not without suffering extensive injuries.
The Accident
Dominick Consolazio drove more than the length of a football field with Captain Lo pinned underneath his company truck before finally stopping, but why?
You see, just before striking Captain Lo, Consolazio had an epileptic seizure. And, according to the lawsuit, when he finally came to, he tried to flee the scene of the accident in his truck while Captain Lo and his motorcycle were still pinned underneath. He was dragged for 23 seconds before Consolazio stopped.
Captain Lo lost 40 percent of his blood, came very close to losing one of his legs to amputation, and spent almost a month in the hospital before he was well enough to return home with his wife.
Sadly, SoCalGas knew that he suffered from epilepsy, yet still continued to allow him to drive. The accident with Captain Lo wasn’t Consolazio’s first seizure on the job. In fact, in 2012, his license was suspended, and he had to go on disability leave for six months after suffering a severe seizure. Despite taking medication for his seizures, Consolazio continued to have them and was involved in another incident just six weeks prior to striking Captain Lo’s motorcycle.
SoCalGas Admits Fault
SoCal did accept liability for this incident, and they offered a settlement of $9 million. And while this may seem like a large sum of money, Lo and his wife did not accept it. Instead, they sought the help of an experienced attorney to fight for the amount that they really deserved.
Just because a company admits fault and offers to pay for the accident, it doesn’t mean that they have your best interests in mind. This could be their attempt to solve the case quickly and, in most cases, for much less than what your case is worth.
Captain Lo was wise to seek advice from an experienced attorney and fight for what he deserved. Ultimately, the case went to trial. The trial lasted a month and jurors watched surveillance video of the accident unfold. They awarded Lo nearly $41.9 million in his negligence lawsuit and they were set to award punitive damages as well when the settlement of $46 million was agreed to by both parties.
Don’t Settle for Less than You Deserve
In Captain Lo’s case, seeking the guidance of an experienced attorney was the difference between a $9 million settlement and a $46 million one. Companies and their insurance providers can be very deceptive. They may offer what seems like a large sum of money to you, but in reality, your case could be worth much more.
Don’t settle for less than you deserve. Contact an attorney who has the experience to fight for your full and fair compensation in or out of the courts.
Injury attorney Jason DeSouza will fight for you at no cost upfront. You only pay him if he wins your case. Contact him today at 833-JASON-WINS to schedule a consultation.