Settlement of Automobile Accident Case

September 2009

Mike Tanner represented the plaintiff who was a passenger in a motor vehicle being operated by the defendant. The defendant driver pulled into the path of an oncoming vehicle which struck the defendant’s vehicle on the passenger side. The plaintiff suffered multiple broken bones and a brain injury from the collision. To overcome Alabama’s guest statute, the plaintiff had to prove that the defendant driver was guilty of recklessness or wantonness. Initially, the insurance company for the defendant driver denied liability based on the heightened standard under Alabama’s guest statute. However, after Mr. Tanner took the deposition of the defendant driver and secured an affidavit from the investigating state trooper, the case was settled for the substantial insurance policy limits of the defendant driver.

Related Practice Area: Trucking & Automobile Accidents