Samer Habbas obtains a $350,000 settlement following a rideshare accident

Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, Calif. — Managing Partner, Samer Habbas of the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates achieves a $350,000 settlement from a rideshare accident. Around the time of the incident, the claimant was standing on the sidewalk, waiting to be picked up by her requested rideshare vehicle. Upon the rideshare driver’s arrival, the claimant could hear music blasting from the car, even before opening the rear passenger door. The claimant was carrying a bag of groceries in their left hand and a cup of water in their right. In order to be able to open the car door, she had to set her water cup down on the sidewalk. The claimant placed their bag of groceries on the rear left seat and proceeded to step into the vehicle. However, before the claimant was fully in the car, the rideshare driver began to drive away, causing the claimant to fall out and land underneath the vehicle.

That same day, the claimant presented to the nearest hospital with complaints of pain in her neck, left shoulder, lower back, and both legs. After thorough examinations, they were diagnosed with rotator cuff tendonitis, medial meniscus tear of the left knee; right knee stress fracture, right ankle tendinopathy; and cervical and lumbar spine strain/sprain. The extent of the injuries to their right ankle and left knee resulted in two separate surgical procedures.

Managing Partner, Samer Habbas filed a claim against the rideshare company for their negligence to properly hire, train, and supervise the rideshare driver who picked up the claimant. Liability for the accident and the injuries sustained by the claimant quickly became a matter of dispute. The defendant insisted that nothing wrong was done and that our client suffered no more than a minor scrape to one of her legs.  

With the defense holding no intention to present an offer, Habbas and his team aggressively moved forward to resolve every distinct point of dispute conferred by the defense.

Our client suffered injuries that resulted in two surgical procedures. One of the challenges was proving that the knee surgery was related to the loss as over 8 months passed before a single complaint was made to a medical provider to that injured area.  

Through extensive debates regarding liability and injuries, Habbas successfully resolved all arguments of dispute—leading to a starting offer of $50,000.00 at mediation. However, with unwavering determination and skillful negotiations, Habbas was able to settle the matter for $350,000.00