Plaintiff suffered soft tissue injuries in accident — $250,000 settlement

Type of action: Personal injury

Injuries alleged: Soft tissue injuries and concussion

Court: Chesapeake Circuit Court

Tried before: Arbitration

Name of judge or mediator: The McCammon Group

Date resolved: 1/5/2022

Special damages: $46,700 of medical bills, all of which were contested

Demand: $250,000

Offer: $41,096.64

Verdict or settlement: Arbitration award

Amount: $250,000

Attorneys for plaintiff (and city): Robert J. Haddad and Shelley Swain Berry, Virginia Beach

Description of case: This accident happened on Oct. 12, 2020. Liability was clear. The plaintiff suffered soft-tissue injuries as well as a concussion. She incurred $46,700 of medical bills treating each. State Farm conceded liability but disputed the entirety of the medical bills. Their highest offer was $41,096.64. They refused to negotiate beyond that. In light of COVID, we agreed to arbitrate the case. The arbiter awarded the requested amount of $250,000.

Robert J. Haddad, counsel for the plaintiff, provided case information.