Compass Law Group secured a $1.75 million settlement — reaching the available policy limits — for a motorcyclist injured on a southbound freeway in Culver City. The at-fault driver was acting as the agent and employee of the vehicle’s owner, which allowed us to pursue more than one source of recovery.
What Made It Unique
This case involved two distinct defendants with overlapping responsibility: the driver who caused the crash and a separate individual who owned and entrusted the vehicle. Because the driver was alleged to have been employed by the owner, we were able to layer agency and entrustment theories on top of the driver’s direct negligence — maximizing the avenues for recovery.
Legal Strategy
We pursued a motor-vehicle negligence claim built on several overlapping theories:
- Respondeat superior — the driver acting within the scope of agency or employment for the owner.
- Negligent entrustment — the owner’s responsibility for putting the driver in control of the vehicle.
- Direct negligence — the driver’s own negligent operation of the vehicle.
Together, the roles of operator, employer/principal, owner, and entrustor created meaningful combined liability exposure — the leverage that ultimately delivered the policy-limits result.
Client Outcome
Our client suffered a broken right hand and bruised ribs. As a right-handed person, the hand injury directly affected his ability to work and earn, resulting in wage loss and diminished earning capacity. We recovered the full available policy limits of $1.75 million. Our client was extremely satisfied with the outcome.
“A broken hand is far more than an inconvenience when it’s the hand you work with every day. We pushed past the driver to the owner who entrusted that vehicle, layered every theory of liability we could prove, and didn’t settle until we had secured every dollar the policy allowed for our client.”
— Joseph Shirazi, Esq., Managing Partner, Compass Law Group, LLP
The Takeaway
When you’re injured by someone driving on another person’s behalf, it’s critical to identify every potentially liable party — not only the driver, but also the vehicle’s owner and anyone who entrusted it. Failing to name all responsible parties early can significantly limit what you recover. Motorcyclists in particular face uphill battles with insurers, which makes experienced representation essential. Compass Law Group offers a free consultation, available 24/7. No Win, No Fee. Contact us today.
