Yearin Law secured a $598,790 judgment for a personal injury client following a bench trial that stemmed from a February 14, 2024 motor vehicle collision. The case involved a high-impact crash where the firm's client, a front-seat passenger, suffered multiple injuries including herniated cervical discs, lumbar injury, shoulder trauma, and a concussion after the driver failed to yield while making an improper left turn. Medical treatment including chiropractic care, physical therapy, and spinal injections resulted in over $45,000 in medical expenses.
Despite the at-fault driver carrying a $50,000 liability policy limit with Allstate, the insurer offered only $25,000, invoking a controversial family step-down clause in its policy. Allstate argued that because the client and driver were engaged and living together, coverage should be limited to Arizona's minimum statutory limits. Personal injury attorney Don Yearin challenged this interpretation, asserting the clause did not apply because the parties were not legally related and that such limitations contradict policyholders' reasonable expectations of equal coverage regardless of familial relationships.
When Allstate refused to tender the remaining $25,000, Yearin Law Office filed suit and served the at-fault driver. After Allstate failed to file a timely response, the court granted Yearin's application for entry of default. Following oral arguments on August 18, 2025, Judge Mary C. Cronin denied Allstate's motion to set aside the default, setting the stage for a trial on damages. At trial, the client testified about the daily impact of her injuries while her treating physician, a board-certified medical expert, rebutted defense claims that her spinal injuries predated the accident.
The physician provided detailed testimony using MRI images, confirming the injuries were consistent with acute trauma rather than degeneration. Allstate's legal team argued for capping damages at $100,000, but the court sided with Yearin's arguments and awarded the full $598,790 requested. This case demonstrates the potential consequences insurers face when undervaluing claims and denying coverage based on ambiguous policy language, with Yearin indicating plans to pursue a bad faith insurance claim on behalf of the client.
