An arbitration panel in Mecklenburg County has awarded $190,000 to a woman who was injured in a car crash on a snowy morning last February, according to her attorney.

Nicole Greer was stopped when another vehicle slid into her car at a low speed, said Greer’s attorney, Chris Mauriello of Cornelius. He reported that the crash occurred in Dallas, North Carolina. Afterward, Greer and the other driver’s insurer, GEICO, agreed to submit the case to binding arbitration.

GEICO and the other driver, Susan Slawter, contended that the shoulder injuries Greer complained about after the accident were preexisting, Mauriello said. But he argued that the impact of the crash injured Greer’s rotator cuff, which he said was not damaged before the incident.
Her medical costs totaled about $37,000. She also claimed $15,000 in lost wages.
Greer offered to settle the case for $150,000 prior to arbitration, according to Mauriello. He said a three-member arbitration panel awarded Greer $190,000 on Aug. 31.

Slawter’s attorney, Lindsey Smith of Hedrick Gardner in Charlotte, declined to discuss the case.

VERDICT REPORT
ARBITRATION – PERSONAL INJURY
Amount:  $190,000
Injuries alleged: Torn rotator cuff
Case name: Nicole Greer v. Susan Slawter
Court: Heard by three-member arbitration panel in Mecklenburg County
Date of award: Aug. 31
Attorney for plaintiff: Chris Mauriello of Mauriello Law Offices in Cornelius
Attorney for defendant: Lindsey Smith of Hedrick Gardner in Charlotte
Originally published in NC Lawyers Weekly