Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. Recovers Ten Times a Drunk Driver's Insurance Policy Limit

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Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc.

May 13, 2019, 04:03 ET

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., May 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. settles with local Pismo Beach resort, Cliffs Resort, LLC, and recovers ten times the Defendant Driver's personal insurance policy limit from Progressive Insurance. A Cliffs Resort valet returned vehicle keys to an obviously drunk and belligerent patron who subsequently collided into seven parked cars and a pedestrian at the Cliffs Resort private parking lot.

Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. filed a Complaint against the Cliffs Resort, LLC and drunk driver, Raul Quintana-Castillo, identified as San Luis Obispo Superior Court Case No. 16CV0380.

Defendant Raul Castillo valeted his Mercedes at the Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach on September 2, 2014. After drinking at Marisol Restaurant, Defendant Castillo was obviously intoxicated, belligerent and aggressive toward other patrons. Nevertheless, the Cliffs Resort valet returned the keys and Mercedes to Defendant Castillo thereby endangering all patrons in its private parking lot. Defendant Castillo sped from the valet station and crashed into several parked vehicles in the parking lot. Thereafter, he slammed the Mercedes into reverse and accelerated into a nearby pedestrian.

Tanya Ortega of Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. represented the injured pedestrian. Progressive Insurance (insuring Defendant Castillo) refused to timely tender the underlying liability policy of $50,000. After months of strategic litigation, the case settled for $600,000, including $500,000 from Progressive Insurance that was ten times the underlying policy limit.

An injured party's financial recovery is almost always limited to the insurance policy limit unless the insurance company refuses to pay a reasonable policy limit demand. Should an insurance company fail to timely pay a reasonable policy limit demand, then the injured party may be able to collect more than the underlying policy.

When accident victims do not hire an attorney, they may end up settling for far less compensation than they are owed. As this recent case demonstrates, hiring a skilled personal injury attorney to investigate all options for pursuing compensation is a wise decision.

Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. offers legal services to people who have been injured or lost family members due to the negligence or intentional wrong-doing of others. Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. has successfully tried 50+ cases to jury verdict and obtained countless arbitration awards. Moreover, the law firm has recovered more than $300,000,000 for personal injury victims and their families.

Superior Court of California, San Luis Obispo County

SOURCE Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc.