Blankingship & Keith Secures $6,000,000 Settlement for Woman Injured in Highway Construction Accident

Trial lawyers from Blankingship & Keith, P.C., alongside co-counsel David Marks of David Marks Law, secured a $6,000,000 settlement on behalf of a woman who suffered facial trauma and a traumatic brain injury after striking a 125-foot, 44,000-pound steel beam left unmarked across Route 7 outside Falls Church, Virginia.

As the plaintiff drove home from work at night, her vehicle collided with the unlit beam, which had been negligently placed directly across all lanes of travel during an effort to reposition it for a highway expansion project. The beam lacked lights or reflectors, rendering it virtually invisible in the dark. She struck the obstruction at 35 mph and sustained life-altering injuries.

The case resolved in mediation on February 18, 2025, just one month before trial. The mediation was conducted by Judge Johanna Fitzpatrick (Ret.).

Plaintiff’s legal team included Juli Porto, Robert Stoney, and Peter Everett of Blankingship & Keith, P.C., and David Marks of David Marks Law.

“This resolution helps our client move forward from a catastrophic event that never should have happened,” said attorney Robert Stoney. Lead counsel Juli Porto commented that, “Our client demonstrated courage and determination in her rehabilitation, allowing her to make a remarkable recovery and making her even more deserving of this outcome.”

This case reflects Blankingship & Keith’s commitment to holding responsible parties accountable and securing meaningful results for clients whose lives have been upended by serious injuries; the firm’s personal injury team brings a strategic, compassionate approach to every case, from catastrophic highway collisions to other complex liability disputes.