Last week, an Erie County jury rendered a Pennsylvania car accident verdict that should make State Farm think twice before trying to take advantage of injured people in northwestern Pennsylvania. In Engel v. Palmer and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, a case tried for the plaintiff by Erie injury lawyer Eric J. Purchase, the jury found for the plaintiff and awarded damages of $375,968.32. Prior to trial, State Farm had offered no more than $18,000.
While the facts are complicated (for the full version, read Wendy’s Story in our auto accident library), they can be summarized quickly. Our client was injured in a car accident through no fault of her own. Her injuries were serious and required years of treatment and surgery. She was forced to change jobs and lost $145,000 to $215,000 in earnings.
State Farm defended the case using a doctor who has worked for them frequently in the past and who makes a handsome living testifying as an “expert” for insurance companies. The doctor claimed our client had made a miraculous recovery from her car accident injuries and that none of her long term problems were caused by the accident. The doctor would provide false and misleading testimony. Despite knowing about the false and misleading testimony, State Farm would still use the doctor at trial and even try to keep secret an audio recording that proved the doctor’s claims weren’t accurate.
The jury was able to see through all of State Farm’s defenses and concluded that our client was entitled to fair compensation for all of her harms and losses. In the case in which State Farm had said it wouldn’t pay more than $18,000, the jury returned a verdict of $375,968.32.
Hurt in a Pennsylvania Car Crash?
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in an automobile accident, the Pennsylvania car accident attorneys at Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. can help. Call us today at 814-273-2010 or use the consult form above or the live chat option to the right. We’ll make sure you get a free consultation scheduled at your convenience.