A light layer of moisture covered the highway near Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It was another busy Tuesday morning – a couple of weeks into the Fall semester. Northbound traffic was near a complete stop and backed up a quarter mile. Quickly approaching the standstill was a driver of a large Freightliner, barreling up the highway at 67 miles per hour. Unable to control his speed, he crashed into the back of a 2014 Honda Odyssey minivan, driven by a university professor with his wife in the front seat. The collision broke his seat, throwing his upper body back into the second row of seats. He was knocked unconscious as the van propelled into the grassy median. His wife reached over to grab the steering wheel and stopped the van from veering into oncoming traffic. The 18-wheeler continued, crashing into three other vehicles.
Both the husband and wife were taken to a local hospital to treat their injuries and monitor their conditions. Given the severity of the crash, the man was in good shape and only showed a one-inch laceration to the left side of his forehead. However, as days passed, he experienced signs of a traumatic brain injury, including difficulty concentrating and irritability. They both knew something was wrong.
Four days after the crash, they contacted Jeff Paradowski of Paradowski Law, who met with them at the hospital. Jeff filed suit against the truck driver and his company and began working up his clients’ case. He discovered the driver was an independent contractor employed by a national motor carrier based in New Jersey. The employer’s attorneys argued they were not liable for the driver’s actions.
Building on his case, Jeff retained several experts, including an accident reconstructionist, a neuroradiologist, and a neuropsychologist. His accident reconstructionist revealed the driver hit his brakes only one second before impact. He stated that had someone been sitting in the back seats of the minivan, they absolutely would have been killed.
Due to a scarcity of local physicians specializing in traumatic brain injuries, Jeff arranged for his client to be evaluated by neurology experts in California. They discovered multiple hemorrhages throughout his brain three months after the collision. With enough evidence to prove the Defendant’s liability and show his clients’ damages, Jeff brought on DK Global to create an animated presentation that exhibited his experts’ findings, bolstered his demand package, and showed he was ready for trial.
The animation commenced with a grayscale background, focusing on a transparent side-view of the man sitting in the minivan. As he sat waiting in traffic, the Defendant’s Freightliner rear-ended the vehicle, propelling it forward at a 45-degree angle. Then, the presentation recreated the accident from a top-down view, demonstrating the collision’s massive forces. Next, the Plaintiff’s brain was shown as his seat broke – the rotational and linear forces causing a coup-contrecoup injury. A molecular look inside the man’s brain demonstrated how the collision’s forces sheared his axons, impeding synaptic transmission and cognitive functioning. Finally, the man’s MRIs were enhanced, colorized, and superimposed over a 3D model of his likeness to identify the hemorrhaging throughout his brain.
Jeff included the expert-backed animation in his demand package and prepared for mediation. During the first mediation, Jeff and the opposing counsel failed to come to an agreement. However, after two more meetings and several back-and-forth discussions, Jeff secured a high seven-figure settlement.
For over 30 years, Jeff Paradowski of Paradowski Law has represented Texans involved in personal injury matters, 18-wheeler crashes, oilfield injuries and deaths, and medical malpractice. Since 2009, Jeff has been named a Texas Super Lawyer and was awarded an “AV” rating by Martindale Hubbell, a prestigious accomplishment given to the most respected attorneys. Jeff prides himself on dedicating himself to uplifting the College Station and Central Texas region, focusing on providing clients with accessible legal representation.
