$40 Million Guardrail Death Settlement Obtained By Atlanta Accident Attorneys

The loss of a loved one at any point is a tragedy. When their death is caused by someone else's negligence, this senseless loss can be even more painful. Butler Kahn's attorneys, who specialize in personal injury and wrongful death claims, stood up to the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in this lawsuit for the grieving family of a woman who was killed when her car struck a guardrail that had been non-functional for at least 10 months.

Learn more about the case https://butlerfirm.com/blog/40000000-settlement-in-guardrail-accident-case

The crash, which occurred on I-85 in Atlanta, happened as the driver lost control while rounding a curve. This sent their car careening into a guardrail, which in theory should have prevented the vehicle occupants from leaving the roadway. Instead, the guardrail, which had been deemed non-functional by GDOT, tripped the car and funneled it into a concrete camera pole, exacerbating the accident and killing the passenger. The driver, her aunt, suffered a permanent brain injury.

Expert witnesses retained by Butler Kahn and by GDOT agreed that had the guardrail been working properly, both the driver and passenger would have in all likelihood emerged from the incident with minor injuries at most.

An Egregious Failure

To prove the guardrail was non-functional, Butler Kahn’s team pulled images from Google Street View to identify bends, breaks, and separations in the post. The defendants, who had a legal responsibility to repair non-functional guardrails within 21 days of them being reported as flawed, denied all responsibility for the accident.

Butler Kahn’s attorneys retained an accident reconstruction expert who worked with an animation company to recreate the incident and to create a video showing what would have happened had the guardrail been functioning. The firm also found an individual who had suffered a crash along the same stretch of guardrail before it was non-functional, allowing him to survive his crash unscathed.

As Butler Kahn continued to build its case, the defendant’s insurers decided to settle for $40 million two weeks before trial to minimize risk.

About the Partners

Trial attorney Jeb Butler has been a crucial member of a trial team that won a $150 million verdict against Chrysler and the lead attorney in a police chase case that led to policy changes. Matt Kahn is one of the just 2.5% of Atlanta attorneys to be named a Super Lawyers’ Rising Star, in large part due to his role in obtaining a $45 million settlement for a family whose son was critically harmed in a motorcycle crash.

Butler Kahn handles its cases on a contingency basis, meaning its lawyers do not charge a single cent upfront. The only way they get paid is by receiving a minority percentage of any verdict or settlement they obtain.

A client who suffered a serious auto accident had the following to say about his experience with Butler Kahn, “after a horrible motorcycle wreck I wasn’t left with any choice. So thankful I found Graham at Butler Kahn Law Firm. He’s a spectacular trial lawyer who literally handled everything for me.”

Read more about this victory at https://butlerfirm.com/blog/40000000-settlement-in-guardrail-accident-case

Butler Kahn City: Atlanta Address: 10 Lenox Pointe NE Website https://butlerfirm.com/ Phone +16789401444