Our client, Jean, was driving on a side highway and was stopped due to traffic when a semi-truck plowed into the back of her vehicle.
According to witnesses, the defendant driver got out of the semi-truck and began yelling that the accident had actually been the fault of the injured victim. This is a common defense in accident cases involving semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles; it is in the best interest of the defendant driver and their employer to try to call the injured victim’s liability in the wreck into question as early as possible.
Ambulance Ride and Hospital Stay
Jean was transported by ambulance to a local hospital and stayed there for multiple days. She had back pain, a limp, and nerve impingement in her lumbar spine. Nerve impingement is a painful condition in which a traumatic accident places pressure on the long, delicate nervous tissues where they exit from the spinal cord.
This pressure can interfere with the signals that these nerves transmit, causing symptoms including tingling, numbness, pain, and muscle weakness in the affected area. In Jean’s case, the nerve pain running down her leg meant that she struggled with walking even while using a cane, and her constant pain made it difficult for her to work and to enjoy her life.
Diagnosis and Expectations for Future Medical Treatment
Multiple MRIs and a nerve conduction study confirmed that Jean needed a great deal of follow-up care, including physical therapy and injections. Her medical bills ended up topping $60,000. Her available funds for medical care ran out, and she had difficulty continuing to pay for the treatment she needed.
With the help of Davis Law Group, Jean was able to find a doctor who could work on a medical lien instead of requiring Jean to pay for her medical bills up front. When a doctor works on a lien, they are paid out of a patient’s eventual settlement instead of out of the patient’s pocket or health insurance at the time of service.
While her accident forever changed her quality of life, Jean was able to get the best medical care available with the help of the $225,000 settlement our attorneys recovered on her behalf.