Our client, a 43 year old postal worker and mother of 4, was involved in a 3-car accident on the 14 Freeway in Acton when a vehicle hit her, forcing her into a construction zone, where her vehicle hit the exposed blunt end of the center median, which was undergoing repair. The insurance companies for the other two drivers quickly paid the limits of their policies, but that did not begin to fairly compensate our client for the severe injuries she suffered, which included a below the knee traumatic amputation of her right leg. Kuzyk Law began investigating the condition of the construction zone, and ultimately filed a lawsuit against Caltrans and the general contractor who was performing the repairs. We discovered that the contractor had left the center median unguarded, against the advice of Caltrans’ safety engineer, in order to save the cost of erecting temporary barriers. Armed with this information, we were able to negotiate a $5 million settlement with the general contractor’s insurance company.
