An accident can change your life in just an instant. That’s what happened to Amanda Wells*, a woman who was in an accident on a ski slope and for whom we won a $15 million settlement last week.
Owners are responsible for keeping their premises safe
Snow sports are dangerous and injuries on the ski slopes are common. That is why, before entering the mountain, the athletes sign a consent that exempts the owners of the property from liability if they suffer an accident related to the very nature of the sport.
However, there are sports accidents that occur due to the negligence of the owners, and in those cases our New York personal injury lawyers can initiate a lawsuit.
In the case of Amanda Wells, the accident occurred due to the carelessness and lack of maintenance of the owners of the ski center, located in upstate NY, as our accident attorneys were able to prove.
Catastrophic sports accident injuries
Wells was an experienced athlete and was snowboarding with her husband and two children on the day of the accident. Getting off the chairlift, she slid down the snow ramp and leaned against the surrounding wooden fence to make room for her two children, who were also riding their skis down.
What Wells couldn’t see, because everything was covered in a deep layer of snow, was that the wooden fence was missing a board and formed a hole through which she fell when the snow gave way under her body weight.
In more than sixty years of experience as a law firm, the personal injury lawyers at Proner & Proner have never seen a million-dollar case in which the lives of our clients have not changed.
Amanda Wells’ fall on the ski slope cost her a spinal injury that paralyzed her body from the waist down, completely changing the active lifestyle she led before the accident.
A tense negotiation with the insurance company
After proving that the accident was the fault of the lack of maintenance on the track, and with the medical reports that proved the seriousness of Wells’s injuries, we knew that it could be a million dollar case and we were willing to do everything in our power to obtain the maximum possible compensation for our client.
The initial amount offered by the insurance company was not only far below our expectations, but seemed unfair to us considering the dramatic change in Amanda Wells’ life and the suffering of her family. So, we got ready for the trial.
An accident case is won with evidence, not complaints
Preparing for a trial is not easy, as our personal injury firm’s lead attorney, Mitchell Proner, has explained many times.
Proner is recognized as one of the most skilled trial attorneys in New York State, which is why insurance companies fear fighting him in front of a jury.
Mitchell Proner’s secret is not only his power of conviction, but the tireless and meticulous work of the attorney and his legal team to search for evidence, testimony and experts that prove the guilt of the defendant.
In the case of Amanda Wells, Proner & Proner even hired 3D animators who recreated the moment of the accident, proving that if the fence had been in good condition, our client would still be walking and enjoying the outdoors as before.
Two weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin, the insurance company invited our attorneys to negotiate. They offered just over $8 million, but Mitchell Proner told them he would close the case for $15 million—not a penny less.
The insurance company accepted the settlement and our client was satisfied with the outcome (the decision to close a case or go to trial is always up to the client).
Hire an accident lawyer who knows about million-dollar cases
In a lawsuit with an insurance company, the attorney you choose can be instrumental in securing fair compensation for your injuries. Not all attorneys know how to win million-dollar cases or will give you the attention you deserve, and many don’t have the resources to file a lawsuit against an insurer.
Personal injury attorneys at Proner & Proner have more than 60 years of experience as an accident firm in NYC and have defended more than 10,000 injured victims.
Do you want to consult your case with our personal injury lawyers in NYC? There are several ways to contact us:
- Call us any day at any time at 212 986-3030.
- Chat online with one of our virtual advisors.
- Fill out the online form with your contact information.
- Write us through our social networks.
Consultation with our attorneys is free, and if we decide to pursue your case, you will only pay us if we win compensation for your injuries, so you have nothing to lose. The sooner you contact us, the better chance you have to win fair compensation. We will fight for you!
*The name has been changed to protect the confidentiality of our client.
