Everyone remembers their first "big case"; Just as you always remember the first time "you got lucky".(or unlucky). In any event , I recall my first million dollar case like it was yesterday.
So one evening four friends are driving in their Plymouth. My client happens to be seated in the backseat; 2 in front , 2 in back. As they're proceeding on this " fateful night " another vehicle slams into the rear of the plaintiff's car ...The gas tank, due to it's location, was punctured and the car burst into flames. To make matters worse, the rear passaenger doors jammed(malfunctioned) and could not be opened.
They finally extricated the occupants, all suffering significant injuries; My client sustained a fractured leg and third degree burns landing him in the Cornell Burn Unit.
We started suit against the rearend hitter and the manufacturer of the " host vehicle". There was an "allstar lineup of plaintiff's counsel and defense counsel as well.
After serving voluminous interrogatories[with assistance of our experts], and spending the better part of a year getting them answered, we discovered that the design for the gas tank location was almost the exact design as one of the worst designed American cars of all time! Amazing.
Anyway, I settled the case over breakfast in a diner on a Saturday morning with defense counsel for a shade under $2 million. Everybody was satisfied.
Cases like that certainly make up for all those intersection accident cases with "sprains and bruises".
That's all for this edition of " Goldman War Stories". See you next time.
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