June 2011
Jeffrey A. Rizika and Robert San Felippo settled a motor vehicle accident claim on behalf of a 32- year-old married father of two from Irvington, New jersey, who was injured in August of 2008 while driving his 2004 Chevy Blazer and was struck by another commercial truck that ran though a red stop light, causing the clients vehicle to veer off the road , strike a tree and flip over turn over onto the driver’s side of the vehicle, in Irvington, NJ. The vehicle sustained substantial damage and was declared a total loss. After being extracted from the vehicle, the client went to the hospital for emergency care of injuries to his back and neck. After a course of conservative care, as well as series of epidural steroid injections, for a herniated disc in his neck and a large herniated disc in his back, the client underwent one level lumbar discectomy, foraminotomy, annuloplasty and discography surgery. Since the defendatn was insured under a commercial policy, the client’s auto insurer attempted to obtain PIP subrogation of the bills they paid out for the client in lieu of the client’s attempted recovery for his pain and suffering, thereby exhausting the available coverage available. Due to Mr. Rizika’s efforts, including the filing of a bad faith claim against both insurers, which were the same company, he was able to settle the clients claim for the $100,000 policy limit available, ahead of the insurance company’s subrogation claim.
**Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances**