Settlement and Arbitration Award Totaling $260,965.00 for a Driver and Three Passengers Who Were Injured as Result of Being Rear Ended by a Drunk Driver

On March 21, 2012, a 23 year old male driver and three of his passengers, all of whom were in their early twenties, were stopped on Highland Avenue, near its intersection with Industrial Avenue in Cheshire, Connecticut, when their vehicle was rear ended by a drunk driver. The driver and passengers all sustained whiplash injuries as a result of the accident and treated extensively with a chiropractor. They settled for the drunk driver’s policy limits and then instituted claims for underinsured motorist benefits against Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, which insured the driver’s vehicle. One of the passengers sustained an injury to his right shoulder in the accident, in addition to neck and back injuries, and was a candidate for future right shoulder surgery. His case settled for a total of $87,500.00 right before trial. The other three cases proceeded to a binding arbitration and resulted in a gross arbitration award of $173,465.00.