When Others Say No: Building a Multi-Million Dollar Case from Difficult Facts
After 10 attorneys declined the case, we took on a catastrophic brain injury claim with adverse police reports, unfavorable witnesses, and an uninsured driver—because our client deserved representation.
A Volunteer’s Morning Turned Tragic
In December of 2019, our client, a woman in her 70s, was volunteering with her church’s van ministry in Los Angeles—something she had done nearly every Saturday morning for two years. Her role was helping elderly church members get from their homes to the van for transport to services.
That morning, the church’s 15-passenger van double-parked along its route to pick up an elderly member who lived across the street. Our client exited and stepped into the crosswalk. As she crossed in front of the van, a northbound vehicle—forced to navigate around the obstruction—struck her. The impact caused catastrophic traumatic brain injury: severe memory impairment, speech deficits, permanent mobility problems, and the need for 24-hour skilled nursing care for life.
Why Ten Attorneys Said No
Our client’s daughter contacted attorney after attorney seeking representation. Ten declined the case.
The obstacles were significant: Both LAPD officers concluded the sole cause was our client’s failure to yield right of way. Multiple witnesses, including a UPS driver feet from the collision, said she appeared to “suddenly run” across the street without looking. The driver who struck her was uninsured with no assets. Our client had crossed mid-block without apparently looking—creating substantial comparative fault exposure. Any case would require developing an innovative liability theory against defendants who weren’t even operating a vehicle at the time.
These were real risks. Litigating a catastrophic brain injury case costs substantial money with no guarantee of success when police reports and witnesses blame the victim.
Why We Said Yes
We saw the same obstacles—but we also saw a dedicated volunteer who had spent two years helping elderly church members, now catastrophically injured and deserving someone willing to investigate what really happened and who bore responsibility.
Building the Case Through Expert Investigation
We retained Robert Berkstresser, a transportation safety expert with 46 years of experience, who revealed that DOT guidelines specifically recommend vehicles picking up elderly passengers park on the “address side”—the same side as the pickup location—to avoid requiring passengers to cross traffic. The van driver had safely parked on the address side for his first two pickups that morning, but parked across the street at this location because it was “routine” and would “save time.” The church had provided no safety training on proper pickup protocols.
Accident reconstructionist Beau Leblanc demonstrated that the double-parked van created a line-of-sight obstruction for both our client and the driver. By the time the driver saw our client stepping from behind the van, there was insufficient reaction time to avoid collision. Studies show pedestrians crossing mid-block look right toward approaching traffic in the near lane—not expecting vehicles from the left in the opposite lane, as this driver was forced to do while navigating around the van.
Through this investigation, we built a case against the church and van driver for negligent training and dangerous parking protocols. The church ran a volunteer transportation program but provided no safety training. The van driver’s decision to double-park across from the pickup location—made without proper training—created conditions that led to the collision.
Structured Settlement for Lifetime Care
Our client’s life care plan projected future medical costs between $3.1 and $3.3 million, though experts disputed whether she had 4 years or 8-14 years to live. After mediation in December 2021, we reached a $9,000,000 settlement in February 2022.
We structured the settlement to best serve her needs: $20,000 monthly for 10 years guaranteed, plus approximately $2.8 million in a blocked account. This combination of consistent income and protected reserves ensures her care needs will be met regardless of how long she lives. Settlement structuring is something many people don’t realize their attorney can help with, but for catastrophically injured clients, how the settlement is structured can be as important as the total amount.
The Los Angeles Superior Court approved the settlement in May of 2022, finding it fair and in our client’s best interests.
When Others Say No
Attorney Brian Panish, reviewing this case, noted: “I do not think any lawyer would have taken this case except for Mr. Sayre given the difficulties and complexities of the liability issue. I doubt that I would have taken on such a difficult case.”
We share this not to promote ourselves, but to illustrate that cases appearing unpromising at first may, with thorough expert analysis, reveal viable paths to justice. Our client’s daughter showed tremendous persistence in continuing to search for representation after 10 attorneys declined. She believed her mother deserved better.
When we evaluate cases, we ask: what really happened? What caused this? Who had a duty to prevent it? For our client, deeper investigation revealed training failures, unsafe protocols, and a preventable tragedy. It required substantial investment with no guarantee of success—but it was the right thing to do for a volunteer who could no longer fight for herself.
When Initial Facts Seem Unfavorable
At Adamson Ahdoot, we handle catastrophic injury cases throughout California, including cases other firms have declined. We understand that initial police reports and witness statements don’t always tell the complete story.
Some cases require expert investigation beyond the accident report, innovative legal theories when traditional claims aren’t viable, substantial investment with uncertain outcomes, and creative settlement structuring that maximizes long-term security.
If your case has been declined by other attorneys, that doesn’t mean you don’t have a valid claim. It may require a level of investigation, expertise, and risk tolerance that not every firm can provide. Your catastrophic injury deserves thorough investigation—even when the initial facts seem challenging.
You Deserve Someone Who Will Fight
If you’ve been catastrophically injured and told your case is too difficult or risky, seek a second opinion. Our client’s daughter didn’t give up after the tenth attorney said no—she kept searching because her mother deserved representation.
That persistence, combined with our willingness to invest in expert investigation and develop innovative legal strategies, resulted in a $9 million settlement ensuring lifetime care. Every catastrophically injured person deserves advocacy that looks beyond initial obstacles and fights for full compensation even when the path forward isn’t immediately clear.
About Adamson Ahdoot LLP
Adamson Ahdoot LLP is a personal injury law firm based in Los Angeles, serving clients throughout California. Our attorneys handle catastrophic injury cases, including complex matters that require extensive expert investigation, innovative legal theories, and willingness to take on difficult cases that other firms have declined.
Contact us for a free consultation:
Phone: (866) 645-4992
Website: aa.law
Address: 1122 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035
