Appeal of Personal Injury Damages Limited by Prior Settlement Agreement

A plaintiff, claiming damages for personal injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, appealed a decision that had limited the recoverable damages to the amount stipulated in a prior insurance settlement agreement, arguing the agreement was void because the injuries were more severe than initially assessed. The court rejected the appeal, reasoning that a settlement agreement, validly concluded between the parties to compromise a dispute over liability and resulting damages, is binding on those parties and extinguishes the right to claim further damages unless the agreement was vitiated by fraud or mistake concerning a circumstance that was the essential basis of the agreement, which was not established here regarding the subsequent discovery of more severe injuries.