Bilqis Rao was riding in the front seat of a car that was passing through the Brooklyn neighborhood of Flatlands in January of 2012. Rao is a proud mother of six children with a loving husband. As the car came to an intersection along Avenue N, another speeding vehicle approached and slammed into the car Rao was riding in. Rao was wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred. Unfortunately, the impact of the other vehicle was so intense that Rao was sent hurtling forward into the windshield.
Rao’s head managed to strike the windshield even though she was restrained by the seatbelt. The impact actually cracked the windshield. An ambulance was called and Rao was taken from the scene directly to a hospital. Doctors did an examination and then allowed Rao to leave shortly after arriving. It turns out that the violent motion of the crash combined with the restraint of the seatbelt caused herniation of her cervical and lumbar discs in the spine. The injury to Rao’s head did eventually heal without long lasting effects on her life.
The disc injuries in her spine did not heal as well. Around three months after the accident, Rao needed additional treatment. The injuries to her spine were starting to cause problems with her shoulders. Arthroscopic shoulder surgery was needed. Rao filed a case in Kings County Court for personal injuries due to the negligence of the other driver. The case was split into two parts. The first involved determining liability. Rao hired an experienced attorney and was able to prove liability for the injuries very quickly.
The second part of the trial involved figuring out what fair compensation Rao deserved from the liable party. The defendant in the case tried to contest the need for compensation by claiming Rao’s injuries were not a result of the accident. Defense lawyers argued that the medical information available showed the shoulder problems were due to natural degeneration caused by age. This assertion was disputed by Rao’s attorney before a jury.
The jury deliberated and awarded Rao a total of $170,000 in compensation for the injuries resulting from the accident. The jury found that $70,000 was for all the pain and suffering she endured up to the trial date. The additional $100,000 was for the pain and suffered she would experience over the next 20 years. This case shows that it is always important to have the right attorney helping you after being involved in a car accident. A lawyer was able to defend against false accusations and prove pain and suffering in this case. The outcome might have been very different if Rao was not represented by an experienced personal injury attorney.
