At the time of the accident, it seemed like a small puddle of oil, but it caused the plaintiff severe, life altering injuries.
After a legal battle that lasted six hard-fought years, Thomas Malick received a landmark award in his personal injury lawsuit. New Jersey trial watchers called this one of the largest premises liability jury verdicts in the history of the state; an award of $5.7 million.
“Slip and fall cases don’t always have such a large outcome, but in this particular case, the injuries Thomas received totally turned his life upside down to the point where he will never be able to work again,” explained Daren Monroe, Litigation Funding Corporation, Southfield, Michigan.
Young Thomas, only 35 years old in 2003, was working when this slip and fall accident happened. His job was to install remote starters at a car dealership. It was near the end of the day when Thomas went to get some parts to finish the last car of the day. “Heading back to the car he was working on, he slipped on an oil slick, landing with a crushing blow on his back. The puddle he slipped in was a mixture of oil and water lying on the floor,” Monroe recounted.
Thomas filed a personal injury lawsuit against the car dealership, where he fell while working; and another party, a mobile detailing company, responsible for the water on the floor. The jury found the dealership 99 percent responsible for the slip and fall accident and the detailing company 1 percent responsible.
“The dealership was ordered to pay over $5.7 million for past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, and for pain and suffering. The detailing company paid roughly $58,000 for negligently leaving water on the floor where it mixed with oil,” said Monroe.
This case is unusual because of the severe natural of the injuries Thomas suffered; internal scarring, nerve damage and a herniated disk. Due to the scar tissue and chronic, intense pain, he takes five medications every day, nerve damage medication, muscle relaxants, etc. Due to the extent of his injuries and the pain he must cope with daily, he will never be able to work again, hence the large damage award.
During the years Thomas was waiting for his trial to conclude, his life had to go on. He had to find a way to pay his usual bills, as well as accident related expenses, medical, therapy, and other day-to-day bills. It was a difficult time for him; a relatively unknown service called lawsuit funding may have been the answer to assist him while he waited for justice through settlement or jury verdict in this serious personal injury case.
Folks like Thomas Malick could be eligible for a cash advance against their personal injury case. This kind of litigation funding eases the pressure to settle early and inexpensively. It also gives the attorney the precious time he/she needs to get a litigant the fairest possible result,” stated Daren Monroe, Litigation Funding Corporation, Southfield, Michigan.
To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.
