The unpredictability of life can often make itself known in the most ordinary moments, road safety being a prime example. A normal day can suddenly veer off course, changing someone’s life forever.
Bustling infrastructure, brimming with ceaseless motion, is governed by strict traffic laws designed to maintain order and ensure safety. But what happens when these laws are disregarded? A single moment of negligence, a split-second decision, can set off a chain reaction of catastrophic events.
On a day that started like any other, one individual found himself at the receiving end of such a catastrophe. On his way to attend some engagements, he couldn’t imagine his entire life would be upended mere hours after he left home when a commercial vehicle ran a stop sign in an egregious violation of traffic laws.
The collision had an immediate and devastating effect, thrusting the man into a harsh new reality. But despite the shock and pain, he managed to keep his wits. Recognizing the crucial need for evidence, he swiftly called the police to the scene. This thinking secured an official report documenting the accident, laying the foundation for the legal battle ahead.
Steering this battle was Edgar Vera, an experienced member of the Karns & Karns Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys team. Renowned for his thorough approach, Vega became a pillar of support for the firm’s injured client.
“Seeking medical help after an accident is a matter of heart and law. It’s just as much about taking care of your injuries, as well as having a record of them,” says Karns and Karns co-founder Michael Karns. “This record becomes a silent and often indisputable witness in a court of law.”
In this particular case, the client sought medical attention shortly after the accident, but this did not complicate the legal side of the matter since the client’s condition spoke the facts. After the medical assessment, the client underwent neck and back surgery and extensive treatments.
He followed all doctor recommendations, hoping to restore his health to normal. Yet, like some accident victims, Karns and Karns’ client was unable to recover completely. Instead, he had to settle for a new normal, marked by occasional pain and discomfort—permanent reminders of the trauma he’d gone through.
But though he had to come to terms with his new circumstances, medically speaking, the legal side of the settlement didn’t have to be as partial. With Vera on his side, the client was able to face the legal complexities with renewed confidence.
In the convoluted legal world, there’s always more than meets the eye. For Vera’s client, the fact he didn’t possess a driver’s license at the time of the accident might typically jeopardize a claim, but here lay a different story.
“Lacking a driver’s license is irrelevant in these cases, and it’s inadmissible in court,” Vera says. “If the client had been uninsured, then as an attorney, my hands would’ve been tied regarding compensation, but fortunately, the cards were stacked in our favor.”
More precisely, California’s Proposition 213 states that an uninsured driver can’t collect any money for pain and suffering, only economic damages, such as medical bills. If the Karns and Karns’ client hadn’t been insured, he could have lost nearly two-thirds of the claim.
Fortunately, his existing auto insurance policy shielded him from this potential blow.
Vera fought hard to secure a fair and just settlement for his client for the next three and a half years. This immense determination led to a victory that speaks louder than words: a $3 million settlement.
The odds seemed favorable from the start, especially after the police report firmly blamed the defendant driver. Coupled with the medical attention post-accident, the report laid a solid foundation for an open-and-shut case.
Yet what truly set the case apart was not the legal genius but Vera’s moral fiber. Instead of viewing the client as just another case number, he saw a person whose life had been disrupted both by the accident and by systemic hurdles.
Remarkably, post-result, Vera extended a helping hand once more, encouraging the client to obtain his license. Not only that, but Vega even helped pay for both the permit and for the client to get a passport as well. It was a small token of gratitude, friendship, and a true service to humanity.
As Vera says, “When our clients walk through our doors, they don’t just find an attorney – they find an advocate and a friend ready to stand beside them.”
