PORT ANGELES — A 98-year-old Sequim woman has won a $1.4 million settlement for injuries she suffered in a motor home versus motor home wreck in May, her lawyer said.
Isabella Baggett was a passenger in a 37-foot motor home that collided with an 18-foot motor home that was making an improper U-turn on U.S. Highway 101 south of Brinnon on May 28.
Baggett, then 97, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with head injuries, according to the State Patrol.
Port Angeles attorney Pat McMenamin said his client, who did not wish to be interviewed, will use the insurance settlement to pay for her “significant medical expenses.”
“She was badly injured in the collision,” said McMenamin, a partner in the McMenamin & McMenamin law firm of Port Angeles.
Baggett’s husband, Sidney Baggett, 82, was driving the 1993 motor home southbound when the wreck occurred at Milepost 323 just south of the Jefferson County line at 12:15 p.m.
According to the State Patrol collision report, a 2013 motor home driven by Hiroyasu Kikuchi of Bellevue began a U-turn from the northbound lane and got stuck perpendicular on Highway 101, blocking both lanes.
“They attempted to make a U-turn but did not negotiate the U-turn properly,” McMenamin said.
The botched maneuver left Sidney Baggett with little time to stop.
“It was a pretty bad impact,” McMenamin said.
Sidney Baggett was treated for bruises and cuts but was not taken to a hospital, the State Patrol said.
Kikuchi, 38, and a passenger, Mizuho Kikuchi, 36, suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
Two children in their motor home — Ena Kikuchi, 6, and Mana Kikuchi, 2 — were taken to Mason General Hospital in Shelton with scrapes and bruises.
Everyone in both vehicles were wearing their seat belts, and no drugs or alcohol were involved, the State Patrol said.
McMenamin said the case was settled out of court Dec. 2.
“We were able to resolve the case without resorting to litigation,” he said.
“I think the settlement is fair. I think it’s a good result for a wonderful client.”
The Baggetts, longtime Sequim residents and Shriners Hospitals for Children advocates, were “extremely pleased” with the result, McMenamin said.
Attempts to reach Sidney Baggett on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
“She’s 98 years old,” McMenamin said of his wife.
“Her injuries are going to impact her life, of course, but she’s a strong women.”
McMenamin, who represented insurance companies before becoming a personal-injury lawyer 10 years ago, said he enjoyed working for Isabella because of her “inner strength, determination and joy of life.”
“These are two wonderful people,” he said of the couple.
“They’re happy to have this portion of their life behind them.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
