While speaking with a local insurance company adjuster the other day, he told me that he was awaiting word on a trial in another state. I asked him about the case, and he said that it was a toss-up, but he thought — at least hoped — that he would win.

The claim involved an auto accident in which his insured had made a left turn in front of another vehicle and had been broadsided. His insured said that she had not seen the other car approaching. The accident was in the early morning hours, and he had a witness who said that the other car had not had its headlights on. He thought that there also might be a second witness, but had been unable to find that person. On the basis of the insured's and witness's statements, they had denied the claims from the driver who hit their insured, and he had brought suit for his damages and injuries.

I asked a few questions about the case, such as whether they were able to check the headlight bulbs to see if they had been lit at the time of the collision, but he said that the front of the plaintiff's car was pretty smashed up, and their technical engineer could not make a determination. I asked what time the accident had happened. He thought that it was about 5:30 a.m. I asked the date; it had been in the spring and, yes, he had checked to see what time the sun had risen that morning. We chatted about a few other things, and I wished him luck. He would need it, especially if it were a jury trial and the plaintiff's attorney was even half-way good.