In June of 2015, Jonathan Adelman obtained a winning jury verdict on behalf of an underinsured motorist carrier in a Cherokee County case.  Plaintiff was a pedestrian when she was struck by a car in a parking lot.  Following the accident, plaintiff immediately sought treatment for knee pain and was diagnosed with a torn meniscus.  Within two months after the accident, plaintiff underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.  Plaintiff’s surgeon testified by way of video deposition at trial that the tear and surgery were due to the accident.  Plaintiff’s medical expenses were $30,000.  The jury returned with a verdict in the amount of $27,000, which was offset to $0 as a result of the pre-trial settlement  with the at-fault driver’s liability carrier and the medical payment coverage benefits already paid.  Prior to trial, Mr. Adelman’s client had extended a settlement offer in the amount of $20,000.  The pre-trial demand was $100,000.  

Ashley Rice of Waldon Adelman Castilla Hiestand & Prout obtained a defense verdict from a Douglas County jury in March, 2015.  The defendant admitted that her vehicle rear-ended the plaintiff and pushed it into another vehicle.  While the defendant paid a citation for following too closely, she maintained that the plaintiff had already struck the vehicle in front of her before the defendant’s impact.  The plaintiff complained of injury at the scene, but sought no further treatment for several days.  Thereafter, the plaintiff underwent chiropractic treatment, pain management, physical therapy, and an epidural injection.  The plaintiff’s MRI showed a lumbar herniation which she related to the accident.  The plaintiff presented approximately $20,000 in healthcare bills, but failed to convince the jury that the subject accident caused her alleged injuries.

Following a three (3) day trial in December of 2014, a Gwinnett County jury determined that a plaintiff’s previous settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company exceeded the amount of the plaintiff’s actual damages.  Thus, Jonathan Adelman’s uninsured motorist insurer client was deemed to have rightfully rejected plaintiff’s policy limits demand.  Following a significant highway accident, the plaintiff underwent lumbar fusion surgery.  The plaintiff and his doctors claimed that as a result of the accident, the plaintiff required the surgery and incurred special damages well in excess of $1,0000,000.  The plaintiff further claimed that he was permanently disabled from working.  Prior to trial, the plaintiff contended that he was entitled to recover the full extent of his uninsured/underinsured policy limits, plus attorney’s fees and bad faith penalties.  The jury’s verdict, however, was that the plaintiff was not entitled to any recovery, not even the amount offered prior to trial, under the insurance policy.

As published in Atlanta Magazine, seven of our lawyers have been named Georgia Super Lawyers for 2015. These lawyers are Russell D. Waldon, Jonathan M. Adelman, Trevor G. Hiestand, Daniel C. Prout, Jr., Kimberly A. McNamara, Ashley Rice, and Rakhi McNeill.

We are pleased to announce the opening of our Southeast Georgia office in the heart of Historic Downtown Savannah at 100 Bull Street.  We are committed to growing our Southeast Georgia practice by striving to make client access and satisfaction top priorities.  Please continue to direct all communications to our Atlanta Office.

Jonathan Adelman and Kevin Reardon published an update on Auto Insurance Liability Law in the Georgia Defense Lawyer publication, Volume XI, Issue II, Summer 20014.  Click to view the article: Summer 2014 GDLA Article

After a four day trial and jury deliberations of approximately one hour, Dan Prout and Denise Hoying obtained a defense verdict in the State Court of Cobb County in a disputed liability case.  The plaintiff sustained a fractured collar bone in the accident and ultimately underwent surgery.  She claimed approximately $48,000 in medical expenses and more than $10,000 in lost wages.  After hearing testimony on fault for the accident from both parties, the investigating police officer, the plaintiff’s accident reconstructionist, and an independent witness, the jury determined that the plaintiff was more than 50% at fault for the accident, barring any recovery.

After two (2) days of trial and one and one-half (1½) hours of deliberations in the State Court of DeKalb County, Jonathan Adelman successfully limited a plaintiff’s verdict to $12,774, considerably less than the pre-trial offer of $45,000 and plaintiff’s request to the jury in the amount of $110,000. This was a case of clear liability on the part of the defendant. The plaintiff claimed ongoing injuries to her neck, low back, and sacroiliac joint, despite the fact that she showed up at trial wearing four inch heels.  She was transported from the scene of the accident, which involved a significant impact, by ambulance.   She followed up with an orthopedist, who administered four (4) sacroiliac joint injections between July of 2011 and March of 2014.  The favorable result was largely due to very effective cross-examinations of plaintiff’s doctor and plaintiff and some significant gaps in treatment.

We are pleased to announce that Ashley Rice has been named a partner of the firm.

As published in Atlanta Magazine, six of our lawyers have been named Georgia Super Lawyers for 2014. These lawyers are Russell D. Waldon, Jonathan M. Adelman, Trevor G. Hiestand, Kimberly A. McNamara, Ashley Rice, and Rakhi McNeill.”