Fullerton Beck attorney Alexandra Sued secured a favorable result for the firm’s New York utility client in a motor vehicle accident case. The plaintiff driver and his two passengers, all represented by the same counsel, filed suit claiming personal injuries. A subsequent police report filed by one of the plaintiffs raised concerns as the report was contrary to some facts in the case as reported by the other two parties.
Fullerton Beck represented the defendant driver, who maintained that the plaintiffs’ vehicle had sideswiped his vehicle, while the Plaintiffs claimed they were rear-ended while stopped at a light. During the investigation, a second police report from a later date emerged, raising concerns as to the authenticity of the reports.
More critically, Alex presented a motion taking the position plaintiffs’ attorney should be barred from represented all three passengers as the plaintiffs’ interests were not united and in fact adverse to one another.
While we believe the motion would have resulted in a favorable decision, the Plaintiffs presented a settlement demand which permitted the Client to make a business decision to end litigation in early stages and for less than the cost of defense. While as defense attorneys, we always seek the “win”, in this case, this result was a win for the client and aligned with their litigation goals.
This outcome highlights how early investigation and smart procedural moves can drive strong results.