Personal Injury Recent Settlements South Florida
Lyons & Snyder are one of South Florida’s leading personal injury attorneys. Check out our notable recent victories. Call us now for a free consultation to see if we can get you compensated for your injuries.
$1,250,000: Wrongful Death – Car Accident
Confidential Settlement
$1,250,000: Wrongful Death – Negligent Hiring
Confidential Settlement
$1,168,000: Wrongful Death – Car Accident
Confidential Settlement
$1,057,000: Rear-end Car Accident
A box truck rear-ends our 30-year-old client driving to work injuring his neck, back and shoulder. He initially retains “a billboard” attorney who is unavailable/unresponsive. He cannot get his personal injury attorney on the phone or have him respond to emails. He fires his 1st attorney and retains Lyons & Snyder mid-case. Phil Snyder provides the client with his cell phone number and assures him that he can call/text anytime. For over a year, Phil Snyder checks in with his client at-least 1x week. Some weeks, they speak more often. From interacting with his client so often, Phil Snyder acquires a better understanding of how this crash so profoundly impacted his life and his fiancé’s life. He had to quit his job and sell off many of his possessions just to make ends meet. The case ultimately resolves in suit. In addition to the monies he received in our bodily injury case, Phil Snyder was able to help secure our client additional monies from his worker’s compensation carrier.
$948,000: Rear-End Car Accident
Our client is rear-ended while on vacation out-of-state, injuring her neck and back. After months of treatment, she does not see any improvement with her pain. She consults with an orthopedic surgeon who does not seem confident on the best course of treatment (type of surgery vs which levels) to alleviate her pain. This is unsettling. After multiple conversations – and additional tests with a pain management doctor – we helped narrow down the source of her pain so could better communicate her issues to her doctors. She ultimately undergoes surgery with a different orthopedic surgeon who she felt more comfortable with, which relieved all her pain. The insurance company tendered their policy.
$905,000: Trucking Accident
A tractor trailer rear ended our clients at a high rate of speed on the highway, causing a multi-vehicle pileup. The defense disputed liability claiming a malfunction with the defendant’s leased vehicle. Our attorneys sought to preserve the tractor trailer’s EDR/black box to determine its speed upon breaking. Our expert downloaded the EDR/black box. The results from the EDR/black box solidified our case that the truck driver was negligent and that there was no malfunction with the vehicle or its equipment. With the EDR/black box results revealed, the defense conceded on liability. The defense was left with no one to point the finger at and the case settled while in-suit.
$865,000: Rear-End Trucking Accident
Our client is on I-95 in the far-right lane when he is rear-ended by a Freightliner. His vehicle spins and careens into an embankment on the side of the road. The Freightliner drives away from the scene before stopping a few miles down the road. The Freightliner claims our client improperly merged into his vehicle in the middle lane and “he wasn’t sure he made contact with our client vehicle.” We immediately ordered any 911 calls and retained an accident reconstructionist who inspected the scene of the crash. The accident reconstructionist identified gouge marks in the road that confirmed the crash occurred in the far-right lane – disproving the truck driver’s version of events. The accident reconstructionist was also able to document that our client’s brake lights were engaged at the time of the crash, disproving a secondary argument concerning our client’s speed. As a result of the crash, our client suffered a back injury and a mild traumatic brain injury. Following the submission of our demand, we spent months negotiating the appropriate damages. We submitted an additional report from an audiologist to bolster our case. Phil Snyder filed suit. The case finally settled in litigation for 2x the initial offer.
$775,000: Head-on Car Crash
Our client was traveling straight through a green light. A distracted driver turned left on a green light and plowed into our client. Our client broke his hand and also injured his neck and back. Our client was taken to the hospital and initially treated, predominately, for his broken hand. A few weeks later, our client began to receive treatment for his neck and back. Years later, our client underwent surgery to repair his neck. The defense argued that since our client received delayed treatment on his neck and back, he must be lying as to the causation of his injuries. The defense also argued that our client was exaggerating the significance of his injuries for monetary gain. Litigation was contentious, however, on the eve of trial, the defense substantially raised their offer and we were able to settle.
$615,000: Rear-End Box Truck Accident
A box truck struck our college-aged client in the left rear quarter panel on I-595. Our client did not believe he was injured and went to work that day. Our client first saw a chiropractor for minor neck pain 11 days post-crash and his injuries progressively got worse. The insurance company’s initial pre-suit offer was $23,000.00. The defense’s argument for the low offer was the delay in initial treatment, insignificant original complaints and that our client played football in high school. During suit, the defendant’s doctor claimed that our client’s injuries were pre-existing and attributable to playing football. After we deposed the defense’s doctors, the case settled one week before trial for nearly 27x the defense’s initial offer.
$600,000: Pedestrian Accident
Our client was walking in his neighborhood when a distracted driver clipped him with his side-view mirror. Our client injured his lower back in the crash. Unfortunately, our client did not respond to conservative treatment, eventually undergoing a one-level disc replacement. By asking the right questions, we determined that our client had an umbrella insurance policy through his wife’s employer. The insurance carrier initially denied the existence of this umbrella coverage. We successfully recovered from three different insurance companies so our client could be made whole.
$575,000: T-Bone Pick Up Truck Accident
A pickup truck negligently turned left on a green light when our client had the right of way. The defense contested liability claiming our client ran a red light while speeding. Our client was transported to the hospital from the scene of the crash. The ER doctor noted that our client did not report any injuries to his neck, only his chest. Subsequently, our client later treated for neck pain. The insurance company’s pre-suit offer was $8,000.00. At the time of the crash, the defendant was in the course and scope of his job. After taking the deposition of the defendant and his manager, the Court granted our request to amend to seek punitive damages. The case settled soon thereafter for almost 72x the defendant’s pre-suit offer.
$560,000: Slip and Fall
Our client was walking into a business from an exterior parking lot when he slipped and fell sustaining a significant leg injury resulting in multiple surgeries. After retaining Marc Lyons immediately hired a surface expert to provide an inspection of the area. After diligent investigation, it was revealed that certain areas of the asphalt parking lot were recently painted, thus removing the naturally slip resistant qualities of asphalt, creating a slippery surface. Once again, the insurance company failed to make a reasonable offer pre-suit and a lawsuit was filed. In litigation, Marc Lyons was able to demonstrate that the area was not prepared adequately, nor was any non-slip additive used to ensure slip resistance to the area in question. Through creative and diligent litigation strategies, Marc Lyons was successful in achieving a very well-deserved recovery for his client.
$525,000: Rear-End Car Accident
Our client was rear-ended at a high-rate of speed. Our client suffered numerous injuries to her neck, back and shoulder. Despite years of treatment post-crash (and no-pre-existing treatment), the defendant’s doctor issued our client a 0% impairment rating claiming she was exaggerating her injuries. We stayed firm on our demand and set the case for trial. The case successfully settled at mediation for more than double their pre-suit offer.
$500,000: Head-On / T-Bone Car Accident
Our client was proceeding through a green light. The at-fault driver was turning left on a green light but our client had the right of way. Unfortunately, our client could not avoid the at-fault driver. The at-fault driver unsuccessfully argued comparative liability and that our client’s injuries were pre-existing. Prior to our case, our client underwent a fusion to her cervical spine. We were able to show that this crash caused new injuries and exacerbated/aggravated an old injury. The case settled pre-suit.
$500,000: Trip and Fall
Our client, on vacation in Florida, tripped while she was walking out of a stand-alone retail store. Thankfully, the client contacted our office immediately and we gave her our advice on exactly what needed to be done to preserve a claim against the property owner. An investigation of the area where she fell revealed a broken surface area that was covered with an exterior mat. Our client suffered significant leg and hip injuries, requiring surgical intervention. Due to the insurance company’s initial poor offer, we filed suit. In suit, Marc Lyons was able to uncover significant facts regarding the lack of routine maintenance and repair of the walkway that resulted in a recovery that was more than 5x the pre-suit offer.
$465,000: Rear-End Car Accident
Our client, a younger mother of three, was rear-ended in a multi-car pile-up. Despite significant injuries, the insurance company offered $15,000.00 to settle the case pre-suit. The case failed to settle at mediation as the sides were six figures apart. We prepared the case for trial. On the eve of trial, the case settled for $465,000.00. The defense tried to bully us into accepting a lower settlement. We did not budge.
$445,000: Rear-End Accident and Diminished Value
A car ran a red light and rear-ended our elderly client in Boca Raton. Our client was recommended for a cervical disc replacement just weeks before the crash. Our client underwent the same cervical disc replacement post-crash. The defense argued our client’s injuries were pre-existing but we were able to convince the insurance company that our client’s pre-crash injuries were manageable. Post-crash, our client exhibited significant myelopathy, including weakness in his legs. The defense reluctantly agreed and paid top dollar for the claim. Our client’s vehicle, a classic car, suffered property damage and we were also able to recover the vehicle’s diminished value as a result of the crash. The case settled pre-suit.
$415,000: Rear-End Trucking Accident
Our client was struck in the right rear quarter panel by a dump truck. Despite the mass of the dump truck, there was only minor property damage. The defense disputed liability. The litigation was contentious. The defense hired an expert, a mechanical engineer, to claim that our client could not have been injured in this crash. Our attorneys convinced the Court to severely limit the defendant’s expert from testifying to the mechanism of injuries. The case settled a week before trial for 10x the defendant’s pre-suit offer.
$415,000: Slip and Fall
Our client slips and falls on a wet floor in a beauty salon, badly breaking her arm. Slip and fall cases are oftentimes contested on liability. The defense will typically claim that our client was negligent herself and therefore contributed to the fall and/or the business owner was not aware of the wet floor (i.e. didn’t have notice). We spent hours with our client going over each and every detail of the case so could best present our case on liability. We determined that the business owner must have been aware of the wet floor because she walked our client from one hair station to the next just moments before she fell. This was enough to get past summary judgment. At mediation, we presented ample case law supporting our position on notice which we believed helped persuade the mediator to push to get this case favorably resolved for more than the carrier expected to pay.
$410,000: Rear-End Car Accident
Our client was rear-ended in Plantation, less than a mile from our office. Our client was not a surgical candidate, but required routine painful injections in his spine and back. The defendant’s doctor claimed our client did not suffer a permanent injury and that the injections were unnecessary. On the eve of trial, the case settled for approximately 11x the initial pre-suit offer.
$400,000: Turn on Green, T-Bone Crash
Our client, a single mom to a newborn, is traveling straight through a green light on her way home from work. At the same time, another driver attempts to turn left on a green light and plows into the driver’s side of our client’s vehicle. Contrary to the defendant’s position, our client has the right of way. After two years of treatment, we submit our demand. In addition to her lengthy treatment, we highlight the many child-related issues she has faced as a result of this crash, including the pain she endures when bathing, feeding and changing her daughter. We painted a detailed picture of all that was taken away from our client from this crash. This case settled for approximately 5x the initial offer.
$400,000: Golf Cart Crash
Our client is involved in successive golf cart crashes while on a campout, injuring his neck and back. Our client had previously been treated for neck and back injuries less than 2 years prior. This crash exacerbated and aggravated these injuries requiring surgery. We were fighting two fronts: (1) were these injuries pre-existing and (2) does his uninsured motorist coverage apply as he was not injured in “motor vehicle”. We successfully showed that his injuries were made worse by these crashes and pursuant to Florida Statute his uninsured motorist coverage should apply as the golf cart was street legal, low speed vehicle “LSV”. After the issues were briefed, both carriers begrudgingly tendered their policies.
$380,000: Multi-Car Pileup
Our client was vehicle 3 in a multi-vehicle pile-up. Although our client’s injuries were significant, her vehicle only exhibited minimal property damage. The defendant’s pre-suit offer was $2,300.00. Two years later, the case settled for 165x the defendant’s pre-suit offer.
$350,000: Sideswipe Car Accident
Our elderly client was involved in a low-end collision in a parking lot in Boca Raton. Our client had a number of pre-existing injuries. Our client ultimately required a disc replacement at C5-6. We convinced the insurance company that our client’s injuries were acute and/or exacerbated and not pre-existing. The insurance company tendered their policy limits pre-suit.
$350,000: Car vs Bike Crash
Our client was struck as he was operating his bike on the sidewalk crossing through an entrance / exit to a shopping plaza. Our client suffered lower leg injuries. It was very clear to Marc Lyons that the damages our client suffered was in excess of the $250,000.00 insurance policy afforded to the at fault driver. Despite our position that the case was clearly in excess of the policy, the insurance company rejected our position. After filing suit and demonstrating the true value of our client’s injuries, Marc Lyons was able to get $100,000.00 more than the policy amount directly as a result of their failure to tender the policy when they should have.
$335,000: Rear-End Car Accident
The at-fault driver rear-ended our client on Glades Road in Boca Raton. Our client treated conservatively for 4 years. Our client was not a surgical candidate, but reported significant pain in her hands and feet. On the eve of trial, the defense raised their offer by nearly $100,000.00 and the case settled.
$327,577: Rear-End Car Accident
Our client was struck from behind. Our client was in her late 60’s at the time of the crash and suffered a multitude of injuries that created a somewhat complicated presentation. Our opinion was very simple: our client, despite some normal aging related findings on her diagnostic imaging, was not under the care of a medical professional prior to the crash and therefore the injuries were either created by the crash or activated a previously latent injury. Some attorneys shy away from taking complicated cases, especially when the causation of the injuries is somewhat cloudy. Believing our client 100% allowed us to present a very clear picture of what injuries were traumatically caused and what injuries aggravated a pre-existing condition. Taking something complicated and making it easy to understand was the key to a successful outcome for our client.
$325,000: T-Bone Car Accident
A 16 year old driver t-boned our client in Coral Springs while turning left through an intersection. Doctors initially diagnosed our client with a bulge at L4-5. Our client did not respond to treatment, however. Two years later, our client underwent a thoracic MRI which showed a small herniation at T11-12. Months later our client underwent a thoracic fusion at T11-12 . The defense’s expert argued that the thoracic findings were pre-existing and that the initial doctor diagnosed a lumbar injury and not a (pre-existing) thoracic injury. After a contentious litigation, we settled the case on the eve of trial.
$320,000: Rear-end Car Crash
Our 40-year-old client was rear-ended by a pick-up truck. Prior to the crash, she had been treating for neck and back pain, including undergoing several injections in her spine. As a result of this crash, she underwent a lumbar discectomy on her back (L5-S1). Prior to this crash, doctors had already recommended she undergo this procedure. The defense claimed her injuries were pre-existing and made an initial offer of $43,000.00. We hired an expert radiologist to compare our client’s pre-crash MRIs with her post-crash MRIs. Our expert radiologist confirmed our clients’ injuries worsened as a result of this traumatic event. The defense agreed and tendered their policy.
$320,000: Rear-End Car Accident
A reckless driver in a pickup truck rear-ends our 40-year-old client in Boca Raton. Prior to the crash, she had actively been treating for neck and back pain, including undergoing several injections in her spine. As a result of this crash, she underwent a lumbar discectomy on her back (L5-S1). Prior to this crash, doctors had already recommended that she undergo this procedure. The defense claimed her injuries were 100% pre-existing and made an initial offer of $43,500.00. We hired an expert radiologist to compare our client’s pre-crash MRIs with her post-crash MRIs. Our expert radiologist (who is oftentimes used by this defense attorney) confirmed our clients’ injuries worsened as a result of this traumatic event. The defense reluctantly agreed and increased their offer approximately 7x.
$300,000: Moped Crash
Our client, a local resident of Key West, was a passenger on a moped when a vehicle pulled out in front of them attempting to cross the intersection. Unfortunately, the at-fault driver failed to use reasonable care and failed to observe the moped causing a collision. Our client suffered injuries to his wrist, knee and elbow. We were able to get out client the necessary treatment despite him not having health insurance. Our client received excellent medical care and we were able to demonstrate the potential need for further treatment based on our expert’s analysis and report. The narrative we endorsed and provided to the at-fault insurance company led to a great result relatively quickly.
$275,000: Sideswipe Car Accident
Confidential Settlement. The case settled pre-suit.
$275,000: T-Bone Crash
A drunk driver runs a stop sign near the Broward Mall, t-boning our client and injuring her shoulder. Sadly, our client underwent surgery on the same shoulder approximately 1 year prior to this crash. The defense initially claimed her shoulder injury was pre-existing. We did a records search on the defendant and determined he was collectible in the event we recovered an excess verdict at trial. Marc Lyons and Philip Snyder were former DUI prosecutors at the Broward County State Attorney’s Office. We tracked the defendant’s criminal case and obtained the defendant’s DUI video. We advised the defense that we would be seeking punitive damages in the event they did not tender their policy. The at-fault’s insurance tendered their policy. Our client’s uninsured motorist policy tendered their policy soon thereafter.
$260,000: T-Bone Car Accident
A negligent driver attempted to “inch out” between traffic to make a U-turn. Thinking the coast was clear, the negligent driver floored her vehicle in our client’s vehicle. The defendant’s doctor claimed our client’s injuries were pre-existing despite the significant property damage. The case resolved at mediation.
$250,000: Sideswipe Car Accident
A reckless driver side-swiped our client’s vehicle in Plantation while attempting to cross 3 lanes of traffic. Prior to retaining our firm, our client almost accepted the insurance company’s offer of $3,500.00. The case eventually settled for the policy limits pre-suit.
$250,000: T-Bone Car Accident
A reckless driver plowed into our young client at a high rate of speed. The case settled for the policy limits.
$250,000: Negligent Hiring / Negligent Retention
Confidential Settlement.
250,000: Rear-End Car Accident
Our client was struck behind and sustained low back injuries. Our client was self-employed and despite needing surgery, could not do so as he could not afford to miss work. The insurance company attempted to minimize his injury in light of his lack of “invasive” treatment and initially low balled out client. Marc Lyons filed suit and was able to demonstrate the significance of his injuries, despite the lack of surgery and obtained a favorable result for the client.
$220,000: Bicycle Accident
A driver negligently attempted to make a left turn leaving a side street without accounting for our client riding her bicycle. Our client crashed into the vehicle and flipped over her handlebars. Our client suffered several injuries, including a non-displaced broken wrist and a partially torn meniscus. The defense initially argued that our client was partially at-fault for riding her bicycle “on the street” at dawn. In actuality, our client was biking on a bike path while wearing a bright yellow shirt. After providing the defense with pictures of our client’s clothing, the accident scene and google maps of the area, the defense admitted liability and we settled the case.
$200,000: Hazardous Grease at McDonald’s
The drive thru area at a McDonalds in Key West was covered with grease creating a dangerous condition for moped and motorcycles. Our investigation revealed that McDonalds was previously made aware of this dangerous condition. Unfortunately, despite prior occurrences, McDonald’s failed to remedy or warn patrons using the drive thru of the hazard. Our client’s moped slid out as he was driving through the area, causing injuries to his hip. Based on our diligent investigation and efforts, we were able to irrefutably prove their prior knowledge of the hazard and put our client in the best position for a settlement. Without our investigation efforts, McDonalds likely would have offered very little to nothing.
$150,000: Rear-End Car Accident
Our 19-year-old client is rear-ended on Pines Blvd at a low rate of speed. The property damage is minimal to the point where the police were not called. Our client started to exhibit back pain a few days post-crash. He did not receive treatment until 9 days post-crash. A few months later he was recommended for surgery. Prior to this crash, our client had never complained of back pain. The defense initially offered $3,500.00, relying on the non-existent property damage and the delay in treatment. Our client is an absolute sweetheart and very sympathetic due to an unrelated medical condition. Phil Snyder wanted the defense attorney to depose our client, so we filed suit. After his deposition, the case settled.
$150,000: Premises Liability
Our client was on vacation when she was sitting on a porch swing at her hotel when it fell unexpectedly. Thankfully, our client took pictures and video of the area that allowed Marc Lyons and his building expert to conclude that the swing had not been property mounted and lacked adequate support. As you would imagine, the insurance company denied the claim suggesting that they lacked any notice of its defective condition. Marc Lyons argued successfully that it was installed improperly to begin with and that it was a ticking time bomb. Although our client had a full recovery, a very nice settlement was achieved in her favor.
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