West Palm Beach Rear-End Collision Settles, Amount Undisclosed

On July 3, 1996, a plaintiff was involved in a multi-vehicle rear-end collision in West Palm Beach, Florida, while stopped at a red light. The plaintiff's vehicle was struck by an uninsured driver, who then caused a chain reaction with two other vehicles. The uninsured driver was charged with careless driving and admitted liability for the collision.

In August 1998, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against their own automobile insurer, the defendant, seeking uninsured motorist (UM) benefits, loss of consortium, and relief for alleged breach of contract regarding personal injury protection (PIP) benefits. Prior to trial, the plaintiff had demanded $10,000 in UM coverage, which the defendant countered with an offer of $3,466.20. Subsequent offers and rejections occurred, including a $4,000 offer of judgment from the defendant and a later $30,000 policy limits offer, both rejected by the plaintiff. The breach of contract and declaratory relief claims were settled before trial.

The case proceeded to a jury trial. The plaintiff presented expert testimony from a family practice physician and an orthopedic surgeon, while the defendant offered expert testimony from an orthopedic surgeon and a neuroradiologist. A jury ultimately awarded the plaintiff $62,000. However, the court later granted the defendant's motions for a PIP set-off and reduced the verdict to the $30,000 UM policy limits.

On October 13, 1999, the parties reached a confidential settlement agreement, resolving all outstanding issues. At the time of the record, an appeal by the defendant regarding errors in juror selection was reportedly pending.