Sometimes lawyer win huge verdicts in cases or win crucial motions in court – and we all like to discuss these “wins” because it reinforces that we are doing good. If all of us plaintiff lawyers continue to win, we know that we are doing our job in standing up for the little guys, against the big guys.
Today, I had what most would be considered a small motion in front of a Judge on an Illinois car crash case. My client is a mother of three young children who were injured in a car accident in East St. Louis, Illinois. As usual, the insurance company is using delay tactics to avoid paying what is due to my client and her family. As a result of the insurance company’s refusal to day, my client and her family are in severe financial trouble as we await trial. Luckily, we were able to secure the medical payments (MedPay) from my client’s car insurance policy. MedPay is paid by your insurance company for the medical bills of those injured in the car. However, it was unclear whether or not these payments could be released directly to the mother or, instead, if the payments must be placed in a restricted account until the minors turned 18.
My client, one of the best mothers I know, simply wanted to protect her children. Because she had been victimized by the insurance companies with regard to the crash itself, the value of her car, their delays in payment – she was forced out of her house and has no transportation. Her children need weekly medical treatment. She needs to work to pay what she can on the bills. Her husband, also hurt in the crash, is also missing working. Today, we asked the court to release this money to mom and let her (mom) provide for her kids. My client was able to tell her emotional story – she was able to be heard about how this car crash has affected her life and the lives of her children. The Judge was moved and granted our motion. While this doesn’t involve a lot of money, it will help this family get back on track. It’s a “small” victory but I feel good today.