Congratulations to Advocate Capital, Inc. friend and colleague, Claude Wyle, his team at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle and his client on this outstanding case resolution.
The plaintiff was a pedestrian walking in a marked crosswalk with a green pedestrian light when he was struck by the defendant’s 2007 Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pick-up truck. The defendant driver testified that as he began making his left hand turn, he was blinded by the sun and never saw the plaintiff prior to hitting him. Liability in the case was crystal clear and irrefutable. Discovery and negotiations proceeded on injuries and damages.
The plaintiff’s injuries included a subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage, bifrontal contusions, etc. with an overall diagnosis of complex head trauma along with a sprain and partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee. Plaintiff was treated by a number of specialists for the head injury, but continued to experience vertigo and pounding headaches along with loss of concentration and memory for several months. His condition mostly resolved minus some minor yet persistent associated neuro-cognitive complications and limitations.
While the plaintiff incurred approximately $42K in past medical expenses and lost wages with future medical expenses estimated at $30K-$50K, the primary loss for this injured man was a dimunition of earning capacity. The plaintiff was a 32 year old Masters educated senior computer engineer already commanding a $105K annual salary at the time of the accident. Extremely hard working, plaintiff went back to work three months after the collision, and was performing all of his work tasks by six months after the injury. Testimony from his co-workers and supervisors confirmed his work ethic and that plaintiff had actually been recommended for a promotion. Just prior to the mediation, plaintiff received the promotion, was assigned greater responsibility and supervisory duties over a team, and given a raise and a trip to London.
The challenge to this case was in presenting the picture of how plaintiff’s life was supposed to be in the future and comparing that pre-injury projection to the post-injury reality. To accomplish this task, Mr. Wyle retained a neuropsychologist, a neuro-radiologist, and a vocational expert who confirmed that due to plaintiff’s cognitive deficits, and fatigue following the head injuries, plaintiff will never be able to reach the high level positions in the high-tech industry for which he was destined. The key to the success of this case was the tremendously compelling personality of plaintiff whom everyone liked and wanted to help. Plaintiff’s experts as well were all motivated by this deserving plaintiff, and were all ethical and highly credible.
Mr. Wyle is a partner at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle. While handling all types of catastrophic injury cases, the firm is renowned for its experience in handling motorcycle and bicycle accidents, as well as pedestrian accidents and brain injury claims. In addition to being a frequent lecturer and author, Mr. Wyle also is active in promoting bicycle rights and safety in the San Francisco Bay Area
To read more about the verdicts and settlements achieved by The Choulos firm, click here.
Advocate Capital, Inc. is proud to support the tremendous work done by Claude Wyle and firms like Choulos, Choulos & Wyle on behalf of injured citizens everywhere.
Senior Vice President
