Paramedics Had To Revive Client After She Was Knocked Out By Crash
Hello and welcome to this week’s case review.
My name is Shane Smith, and today I’m joined by Thomas Ozbolt from Shane Smith Law to talk about one of his recent client victories involving our client, RS.
How the Collision Happened
RS was doing everything right. She was driving through an intersection when another driver ran a stoplight and T-boned her vehicle. The impact was so severe that RS struck her head and neck against the window and lost consciousness at the scene.
She remained unconscious for several minutes and did not regain awareness until EMTs arrived and knocked on her window.
Her vehicle was totaled.
Loss of Consciousness and Initial Emergency Care
Emergency responders and hospital staff confirmed that RS had lost consciousness for several minutes, and she remembered very little about the collision itself. She was transported to the emergency room, where she was evaluated for head, neck, and back injuries.
Given the loss of consciousness, both RS and her legal team were understandably concerned about potential brain injury.
Diagnosed Injuries
Imaging and medical evaluations revealed serious spinal injuries, including:
- Two disc bulges in the cervical spine
- One disc bulge in the lumbar spine
- A lumbar disc herniation
- An annular tear with edema in the lumbar spine
While the annular tear caused significant pain, RS was fortunate that her head injury symptoms largely resolved over time. Her ongoing complaints centered on her neck and back injuries, which persisted months after the crash.
Medical Treatment Challenges
RS was able to see an orthopedic specialist and undergo MRI imaging to properly diagnose her injuries. However, a large emergency room bill consumed much of the available insurance coverage, limiting the amount of treatment she could pursue through the liability and underinsured motorist policies.
Despite those limitations, Thomas ensured that her injuries were fully documented so she could pursue additional care in the future through health insurance once available.
Insurance Recovery and Legal Fight
This case involved multiple layers of insurance:
- The at-fault driver’s liability coverage of $30,000, which was obtained relatively quickly
- RS’s own underinsured motorist coverage, which required a much longer and harder fight
In total, Thomas was able to recover the full $50,000 available across both policies.
The most significant resistance came from RS’s own insurance company, despite the fact that she had paid for that coverage specifically to protect herself in situations like this. Thomas had to repeatedly push back, document medical expenses, and demand accountability to ensure RS was treated fairly.
Key Lesson from This Case
One of the biggest takeaways from this case is the importance of having an attorney who is willing to consistently push insurance companies to do their jobs. Insurance carriers often delay, minimize, or “lose” documentation, and without an advocate, injured people are frequently underpaid or ignored.
As Thomas explained, insurance companies are not financially motivated to be fair. Having someone who will not let up makes all the difference.
Final Thoughts
This case is another example of how serious injuries can result from a moment of negligence, and how critical underinsured motorist coverage and strong legal advocacy are to protecting injured victims.
If you or someone you love has been hurt in a crash, you do not have to handle this alone.
Remember, if you’re in pain, call Shane at 980-999-9999.
You can also request our free Victim’s Survival Guide to Car Accidents at:
👉 https://www.shanesmithlaw.com/car-accident-victim-survival-guide/
