On a sunny Monday morning, a car rental company in Seattle, Washington, prepared their reservations for the day. One worker rushed to move the vehicles through the parking lot. But, as he swerved recklessly in a large truck, he failed to observe his surroundings and ran into a fellow employee, a 22-year-old woman, who was on foot. The young woman was hurled onto the asphalt, inflicting life-altering injuries.
Paramedics rushed the woman to a nearby emergency room. Medical imagery revealed the extent of her injuries: several broken ribs, a brain bleed, a spleen laceration so severe it needed to be removed, and much more. When she awoke, the gravity of her traumatic brain injury became apparent. She began experiencing seizures, cognitive difficulties, crippling post-traumatic anxiety, hearing loss in her left ear, and anosmia.
The woman’s family contacted attorneys Edward K. Le and Mike Kittleson of Edward K. Le, PLLC. Edward met with the woman as she recovered in the hospital, offering guidance navigating through the medical and insurance processes. As Edward established rapport with the woman and her family, he agreed that his firm would represent her and spearhead her legal recourse.
After three to four months, the Plaintiff made a remarkable recovery, showing only minor signs of her orthopedic injuries. In addition, neuropsychology evaluations found fewer impairments than expected. Consequently, the Defense challenged the severity of her damages and employed several strategies to delay Edward and Mike from resolving the case. In one instance, the Defense insinuated that the driver was not liable, claiming the truck’s brakes must have malfunctioned and that the manufacturer was ultimately responsible. Preying upon the Plaintiff’s financial instability, the Defense made meager monetary offers to settle the matter, far below what Edward and Mike knew the case was worth. Despite the Plaintiff and her family insisting on putting the traumatic experience behind them and settle, Mike and Edward advised them to remain patient and persevere to get the full value of their case.
Mike and Edward used their extensive network of medical specialists to treat their client and refute the Defense’s claims. A neurotologist assessed the woman’s hearing loss and difficulty balancing. An epileptologist evaluated her traumatic brain injury and how it aggravated her reoccurring seizures. To help treat her anosmia, the woman met with an otolaryngologist. Moreover, from the radiologists who diagnosed her injuries to the orthopedic surgeon who removed her spleen, the medical professionals who treated the young woman were ready to testify and help her attain compensatory damages. As Mike and Edward prepared for trial, they looked to synthesize the mountain of testimony and evidence they had into a coherent narrative so that a jury could understand the depth of their client’s suffering. Thus, they contacted DK Global to bring life to the experts’ testimony with an animation outlining the Plaintiff’s damages.
The animation began with a 3D model of the Plaintiff. The camera panned up and down the model, illustrating the woman’s head and body injuries — a brain bleed, a large scalp hematoma, post-traumatic epilepsy, and more. CT scans of the woman’s fractures were highlighted and shown adjacent to the model to specify the location of her injuries. After revealing the woman’s overwhelming number of afflictions, surgical rods and screws were animated, securing her broken bones. Next, enhanced medical imagery of the woman’s brain revealed the areas where bleeding and damage occurred. And finally, to communicate the physical effects of her traumatic brain injury, a list of deficits and the corresponding lobes were listed.
Geared for trial, Mike and Edward met with the opposition and offered a final opportunity to resolve the matter for an appropriate amount before a jury viewed the demonstrative. The Defense caved to their diligence, with the two attorneys securing a $5.9 million settlement for their client, nearly three times more than the initial offer.
For over 25 years, Edward K. Le has represented the survivors of catastrophic injuries and was recognized amongst the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers for Washington” by the National Trial Lawyers Association. Edward has earned the Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Rating of “AV Preeminent”, a prestigious accomplishment given to the most respected attorneys for their legal expertise.
Since 2015, Mike Kittleson has focused his practice advocating for those who have suffered harm due to the negligence or recklessness of others. Recognized by Super Lawyers as a “Top Rated Personal Injury Attorney in Renton, Washington” and a “Rising Star,” Mike was also awarded a place amongst The National Trial Lawyers: “Top 40 Under 40”.
