I represented an attorney who was injured in a car accident. She was making a left turn when her car was struck violently by a car who was speeding with no headlights on (it was dark out), who left the scene of the accident. The other car was going straight and would normally have the right of way.
On the corner was a man who saw the whole thing. He went to my client and gave her all his information. The police took a long time to get there, and he had to leave but told her to feel free to call him.
The other driver eventually returned to the scene and gave a different story (no surprise). The matter was contested so I placed it into litigation. Each party testified at deposition as to their version. The eyewitness volunteered to testify at a deposition (we scheduled the day and time for his convenience).
After the witness testified as to the events of that night, the insurance company for the other car offered the full policy ($100,000) which allowed me to proceed against my client’s own SUM coverage (see previous blogs), for a total package of $245,000.
The eyewitness made all the difference!