Samer Habbas Achieves a $323,000 Settlement for an Auto Accident.

San Diego, Calif.

The insurance company accepted liability for the accident, but disputed the nature and reason of our client’s injuries due to a low property damage estimate for his vehicle. The insurance company made us a very low offer in the amount of $15,000 to initiate settlement negotiations. Habbas litigated the matter and ultimately received a $323,000 settlement at mediation. 

It is a common defense of insurance companies to deny compensating a claimant due to either a low property damage estimate or non-visible damages on the vehicle. With this particular case, both were at issue. Our firm, as it has done on several other cases, refuses to accept as true the insurance companies representations about low property damage. This matter should be a reminder that even in low property damage cases an occupant may sustain serious injuries. Remember, it is not the car that is put on trial, but rather it is the human being occupying it. As much as insurance companies desire to make a connection between low property damage and likelihood of injury, no such connection medically exists. Due to Habbas’ aggressive approach, the insurance company eventually retreated from their argument and made a just settlement offer to our client.