Virginia Lawyers Weekly Honors Jim Williams on the Million Dollar Settlement List.
Richmond resident Phyllis F. was driving home from her factory job when she was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on I-95. Phyllis suffered a severe fracture to her left foot, which was ultimately fused to her ankle, leaving her with a significantly reduced range of motion. Her medical costs were nearly $150,000. She was unable to go back to her longtime job, meaning she’d have to forfeit an estimated 10 years of lost wages totaling $283,000.
The defense argued that Phyllis was physically incapable of working for another ten years due to prior work injuries, trying to reduce their liability for future lost wages. In mediation they offered to settle the case for $450,000, but Burnett & Williams’ lead attorney, Jim Williams believed his client deserved much more to compensate for the pain and suffering she would endure the rest of her life. They turned down the offer and the case was scheduled for trial in Richmond Circuit Court.
Before Jim Williams entered the courtroom on the day of the trial, the defense raised their offer to $1 million dollars to settle. Confident in his careful assessment of the value of the case, Mr. Williams again advised his client that she would be better off going to trial.
After a round of preliminary motions by the defense were struck down by the presiding judge, the opposition finally began to take a view of the case more in line with Burnett & Williams’ assessment. A short recess was called before jury selection and Jim sat down with opposing counsel, negotiating the offer up to $1.6 million, and settled the case minutes before the trial was to begin.
In over 25 years of Personal Injury Law practice, we’ve found that every case is different, and a wide range of factors always determine the settlement value. If you’ve been seriously injured by another party, call Burnett & Williams for a detailed assessment of your case. When it really matters, you’ll be glad to have one of Virginia’s oldest and most experienced Personal Injury Law firms on your side.