One-Car Accident
Minor Passenger Injured
It was after midnight, and a young teenage girl was a passenger in a car driven by a male friend (who had borrowed the car from another friend). As the driver reached a major intersection, he looked in his rear-view mirror and noticed a police car pulling a U-turn behind him. Thinking that the police car had recognized him (the driver believed he had a warrant out for his arrest), the friend stepped on the accelerator and began "flying" down the street with the officer in chase. Soon, other police joined the chase as speeds reached over 100 mph. Suddenly, the driver attempted a turn, lost control, and ran into a telephone pole. His passenger suffered severe injuries including a broken wrist, facial scarring, head injury and more. The case was complicated by the fact that the young man who lent the driver the car, initially reported to police that the car was stolen. He later recanted the accusation. Magnuson Lowell negotiated a settlement to include the full insurance policy limits available and a tax-free annuity for the minor's benefit.