One moment, Van sat in traffic. The next, a rear-end crash hit with so much force that it broke his back in two places and stole feeling from half his body. He spent three days in the hospital, unsure what came next or how he would manage the legal fallout while he tried to heal.
Within a few days of the accident, he walked into our office, told his story to attorney Ben Westhoff, and felt something he had not felt since the crash: confidence that someone would take care of the legal side so he could focus on recovering.
From Rear-End Crash & Hospital Stay To Finding Support
Van describes the crash in clear, simple terms that show just how hard it hit him: “I was rear ended. The force of it broke my back in two places. I lost feeling in my own and half of my body.” He then explains that he spent three days in the hospital after the accident.
Those details give a real sense of what he went through. This was not a minor fender bender. This was a life-changing event that left him in pain and unsure of what the future might hold.
Sharing His Story & Feeling Heard
After he left the hospital, Van knew he needed help. He did not wait long. “Within a few days of the accident, I came in, told my story to Ben and he was very interested in helping me out,” he says.
That moment matters. When someone sits across from a lawyer after a serious injury, they want to feel that the person on the other side of the table cares about what happened and wants to listen. Van’s words show that he felt heard and taken seriously at Sedey Harper Westhoff.
Confidence, Care & A Weight Off His Shoulders
Van focuses less on legal terms and more on how the experience felt. He explains, “He made me feel very confident that everything was going to get taken care of.” For someone recovering from a serious back injury, that sense of confidence can change day-to-day life.
He also talks about how our team treated him: “The fact that they cared about me as a person concerned for my health, my well-being…” That simple statement shows what we aim to do at Sedey Harper Westhoff: see the person first, not just the file or the case number.
Van then explains what that care looked like in his life. He says we wanted to make sure he would not “have to worry about any of these legal stuff while I was recuperating.” In his words, “It was a big weight off my shoulders to not have to worry about any of that stuff, and I could just focus on recovering.”
For many people who face a serious accident, that is the heart of what they want from a lawyer: someone who takes the legal burden off so they can focus on their health and their family.
Why Van’s Story Reflects How We Work
Van’s experience lines up with the values that guide our work at Sedey Harper Westhoff. We represent individuals, not corporations or insurance companies. His story shows what that looks like in real life:
- Real listening: He came in within days of the crash, told his story, and felt that Ben was “very interested in helping” him.
- Clear reassurance: He left feeling “very confident that everything was going to get taken care of.”
- Focus on the person: He noticed that the team cared about his “health” and “well-being,” not just the case.
- Taking on the legal load: He could set the “legal stuff” aside and “just focus on recovering.”
We bring that same approach to others who come to us after car crashes, construction site accidents, and other serious injuries. The facts of each case differ, but the need for support, clarity, and relief from legal stress stays the same.
Seeing Yourself In Van’s Experience
If you or someone you love faces a serious injury from a crash or another incident, you may recognize parts of Van’s story. Hospital stays. Pain that changes simple tasks. Worries about time away from work, medical bills, and what happens next.
Many people feel pressure to deal with insurance calls and paperwork on their own while they try to heal. Van’s words offer another path: handing the legal side to a team that cares about you as a person and wants you to focus on getting better.
We encourage you to watch the video above to hear Van tell his story in his own voice. If his experience resonates with you, you can contact Sedey Harper Westhoff at (314) 819-0963 for a free conversation about your situation. We can talk through what happened, answer your questions, and help you decide on your next steps while you focus on your recovery.