A driver was flying down a road in the Pacific Northwest when they failed to notice traffic slowing to a halt. The speeding driver slammed into the car ahead. The woman in the impacted car was hit with such violent force that her vehicle rocketed forward into a third motorist. The shock of these two collisions was nothing compared to the devastating pain that coursed throughout her body. Though she was walked away, the life that she'd worked so hard to make for herself was changed forever.
The injured woman was a seasoned nurse with decades of selfless service under her belt. Putting her patients first, she initially tried to power through the debilitating damages to her neck, back, and extremities. However, the unyielding cascade of medical problems forced her to accept lighter-duty work. After striving and struggling more than a year, her incredible force of will couldn't stop her nerves from beginning to fail. When her hand could no longer perform reliably, she had no choice but to seek legal help.
The first attorney the nurse approached reached a stalemate with the defense, so she enlisted the expertise of Mike Kittleson, a partner at Le & Kittleson. Mike had a proven track record of successfully wrestling with stubborn insurance companies until they could reach a reasonable settlement offer. The plaintiff's determination in the face of pain motivated Mike to defend her with equal passion. Two years had passed since the accident, so Mike prepared to work backward and look forward.
The defense tried to avoid litigation by waiting out the plaintiff. Their inaction gave Mike time to evaluate and treat the plaintiff's injuries. He assembled a team of physicians for the plaintiff's complex needs. She needed a laminectomy and foraminotomy. These invasive procedures would further damage her spine before beginning the healing. As her medical picture became clearer, Mike gained ammunition to overcome the defense's refusal to budge.
A significant challenge remained: proving the defendant's negligence caused the plaintiff's injuries. The defense insisted that age and career-related wear and tear — and not being crushed between two cars — had actually enfeebled her. But Mike and his team of three expert surgeons anticipated this argument. They were ready to testify about its obvious inapplicability and the seriousness of the plaintiff's back surgery. Nevertheless, Mike knew a jury wouldn't grasp the seriousness of her operation without actually seeing it. So, Mike sought to animate what the surgery looked like and play it as a demonstrative. To get that hard-hitting visual, he contacted DK Global. They coordinated with his experts to create a simple yet ironclad presentation.
DK Global created a 3D animation of the plaintiff's laminoforaminotomy. The presentation opened on the surgeon's operative report, including diagnoses and other pertinent details. Next, it transitioned to a 3D model of the patient lying prone on an operating table. Then, it zeroed in on an exposed area of her lumbar spine. A 3D animation of the entire surgery played and paused at key milestones with brief explanatory captions.
Two months before trial, Mike sent the defense a demand letter they couldn't ignore. The mountain of evidence Mike had collected showed his commitment to getting the plaintiff what she deserved. Soon after the defense received DK Global's presentation, mediation began. For two years, the defense had never offered more than $75,000. However, at mediation, eager to avoid trial, they settled for ten times that amount. The plaintiff's case had dragged for so long that the defense's $750,000 offer made her happy for a resolution. With her life back, she could at last resume saving others.
Mike Kittleson is a partner at Le & Kittleson, a boutique personal injury firm in Renton, WA. They've recovered tens of millions of dollars for their clients. Mike has personally obtained several seven-figure verdicts, settlements, and awards. He is proud to stand alongside the fewer than one percent of lawyers in the United States who have qualified to join the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star and was awarded a position in the National Trial Lawyers' list of Top 40 Under 40.
