Our longtime client and friend, Brian Hodgkiss of Brian Hodgkiss Injury Lawyers, LLC, is our guest blogger today. He shares the story behind his firm’s recent $1.75 Million result on behalf of their client who sustained lifelong injuries as a result of a negligent driver. Brian’s offices are located in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. His cases include car, truck, and motorcycle accidents; defective drugs and products; workers’ compensation; pedestrian accidents; and premises liability.
Thank you, Brian, for all you do and the impact you have on your clients and your community. Advocate Capital, Inc., is proud to support your great work.
By Brian Hodgkiss:
When “Just Living With the Pain” Isn’t the Answer: A Truck Crash, a Long Fight, and a $1.75M Result
Our client was simply trying to get back to work. It was her first day returning to a delivery job when everything changed in an instant. As she drove along a Wisconsin highway, an independent truck driver attempted to pass her vehicle. Before he had fully cleared her, he moved into her lane, forcing her off the road and into a ditch. What should have been an ordinary workday became the start of a life-altering injury.
Emergency responders had to remove her from the vehicle on a spine board and transport her to the hospital. Imaging revealed a serious spinal fracture—one that permanently altered the structure of her back. From that moment forward, her life was defined not by recovery but by persistence. She was unable to return to work, and the pain she experienced was not temporary. It became a constant presence in her daily life.
In the years that followed, she pursued treatment after treatment. Physical therapy, injections, and other conservative measures provided little relief. As time went on, the reality of her condition began to wear on her. Like many people living with chronic pain, she reached a point where she considered giving up altogether. She began to believe that this was her new normal—that the pain was something she would have to accept and endure for the rest of her life.
We encouraged her not to stop. We urged her to continue seeking answers and to keep pursuing treatment options that could improve her quality of life, even if they did not promise a complete cure. That encouragement proved critical. Over time, her care progressed to more advanced interventions, including radiofrequency ablation—a procedure designed to reduce pain by targeting specific nerves.
The treatment helped, but it did not eliminate her pain. It provided meaningful relief, allowing her to function better, but her physicians were clear that it was not a cure. It was a temporary measure that would need to be repeated in the future. Even at its most effective, her pain never fully went away.
From a legal standpoint, liability was clear. The truck driver admitted that he moved into our client’s lane before it was safe to do so. Yet despite the strength of the case, our initial demand was met with silence. Only after we filed the lawsuit did the defense respond—and even then, they attempted to push the case toward a quick mediation.
We declined.
Instead of rushing to a resolution, we stayed focused on what mattered most: our client’s long-term outcome. We continued to support her in finding a treatment plan that would provide real, meaningful relief. At the same time, we continued building the case—fully developing the medical story and the damages model to reflect not just what she had already endured, but what she would continue to face in the years ahead.
To do that, we worked with a life care planner who evaluated her future medical needs and the cost of ongoing care. The analysis confirmed what her doctors were already saying: this was a permanent condition requiring continued treatment, including repeat procedures. This wasn’t a case about a short recovery—it was about a lifetime of consequences.
That work made the difference. Because her relief was incomplete, we were able to demonstrate that she would continue to live with the effects of this crash indefinitely. We showed not only the physical toll, but the broader impact on her independence, her ability to work, and her overall quality of life.
The case ultimately resolved at mediation for $1,750,000. This result reflected the full scope of harm—past, present, and future—and ensured that our client had the financial support she would need moving forward.
Cases like this are not just about what happens in a moment of negligence. They are about what happens afterward. They are about the client who feels like giving up and chooses not to. They are about taking the time to get it right, even when the other side is pushing for less. And they are about holding the responsible party accountable for the true, lasting impact of the harm they caused.
