A tractor-trailer belonging to a prominent company rushed through the streets of beautiful Mountain View, Missouri. Its driver had already violated several road rules, including operating under falsified logs and speeding. The green light ahead of the truck flickered to yellow, then red, and instead of responsibly slowing to a stop, the driver sped up to disastrous results. At the intersection ahead, Virginia and her family were driving home, celebrating their daughter’s successful concert with ice cream. As their car proceeded through the green light, the tractor-trailer collided directly with them, t-boning the side of their vehicle. One month after the collision, Chandler Gregg of Strong-Garner-Bauer represented Virginia and ultimately helped her recover $16 million in damages.
All the passengers in Virginia’s vehicle were injured due to the accident. However, Virginia was grievously wounded and sustained multiple life-altering, head-to-toe injuries, including multiple orthopedic fractures, a thoracic fracture resulting in a plated spine, and a hypoxic brain injury from Virginia inadvertently removing her tracheotomy tube while recovering. In just one day, Virginia had gone from family matriarch and caregiver to requiring extensive care.
A lawyer familiar with Virginia and her family referred Chandler Gregg to investigate the accident and hold the Defendant accountable. First, Gregg sought to understand how the accident happened and prove the Defendant's liability. Fortunately, there was adequate liability evidence, thanks to security footage from a McDonald's located next to the intersection. Additionally, the first responders on the scene wore bodycams that recorded the aftermath of the accident, providing immediate damage evidence.
The issue therein was demonstrating the devastating scope of the trauma on Virginia and her family that would impact the rest of their lives. Gregg called in an orthopedic specialist, a life care planner, a neurologist, and a neuroscientist to provide expert testimony on the nature of Virginia’s injuries. DK Global worked with Gregg to incorporate the experts’ testimony and evidence into animated presentations that visualized the severity of Virginia’s injuries.
First, the animation demonstrated the extent of Virginia’s brain injury. The camera circled a 3D depiction of Virginia’s brain as the video identified the lobes and regions that had been damaged. As each area was identified, corresponding brain deficits were listed. Next, a character model of Virginia’s body depicted what happened to her bones and organs from head to toe. The camera began with Virginia’s collapsed lungs, followed by her fractured ribs, scapula, and vertebrae. Last, the presentation outlined the medical procedures Virginia went through to repair her broken bones. Large screws bored into her thoracic spine, allowing two thick metal bars to hold her vertebrae in place. Then, plates were drilled into seven of Virginia’s shattered ribs. All the while, medical scans were displayed next to the 3D model to verify accuracy.
The Defense initially refused mediation and offered just $1,000,000 in response to Virginia’s claims. As the case continued toward trial, Gregg showed them the video. Now able to visualize Virginia’s stark reality, the Defendants settled just a few weeks before trial for a take-it-or-leave-it demand of $16,000,000.
Chandler Gregg has practiced law with Strong-Garner-Bauer for 19 years after receiving his law degree cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 2004. The firm specializes in catastrophic injury and complex litigation, with cases ranging from product liability to medical malpractice and personal injury. Gregg has received several honors since joining the firm, including the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, Missouri Lawyers’ Weekly UP & COMING Lawyers, and Super Lawyers’ Rising Star and Super Lawyer recognition, in addition to being listed in Who’s Who in America since 2012.
