$2,150,000 Settlement for Client Who Suffered Multiple Injuries, Including a Shattered Ankle, After a Serious Car Accident

COURT AND COUNTY
Supreme Court, Nassau County

AGE AND OCCUPATION OF PLAINTIFF
The plaintiff was 33 years old at the time of the accident and 35 at the time of settlement. She works as a credit analyst.

DESCRIPTION OF CASE
While driving straight, the plaintiff’s vehicle collided with the defendant’s SUV. The defendant’s car was attempting to make a left turn from the opposite side of the roadway. As the plaintiff approached the intersection, she saw the defendant’s vehicle in the opposite left-turn lane, with its left turn signal on. However, she believed that the other vehicle was going to stop and let her proceed. The defendant’s vehicle hit the plaintiff’s car on the front driver’s side. The impact of the accident forced the plaintiff’s car to hit a nearby tree. The defendant driver claimed that she had a green light and right of way, came to a stop at the intersection and looked for oncoming traffic. The defendant did not see any vehicles approaching and then proceeded forward into the intersection. However, the plaintiff had the green light and right of way at the time of the accident. As a result of the impact, the plaintiff was concussed and blacked out for a period of up to 30 minutes. The plaintiff was taken to Winthrop Hospital where she was treated for multiple severe injuries.

INJURIES AND DAMAGES
The plaintiff sustained several injuries from this accident. She required blood transfusions and the insertion of a catheter during her visit to the hospital immediately following the accident. She sustained a femoral shift fracture with butterfly fragmentation and had surgery to insert a rod and nails into her leg. The plaintiff also shattered her ankle and had to undergo two surgeries to repair her tendons and insert 11 screws, pins, and a mesh plate in an attempt to reconstruct the ankle. She required ORIF surgery to her tarsals, metatarsals, and calcaneus. Her right knee sustained severe damage, including a medial meniscus tear, a full thickness cartilage deficit, loose cartilage flaps, and significant damage to her patella, for which she also needed surgery. A right-knee arthroscopy, partial medial meniscectomy, synovectomy, and tricompartmental chondroplasty were performed to address the damage to the knee. The right ankle was also damaged by a gastrocnemius contracture, and an Achilles equines contracture.

The damage and subsequent surgeries rendered the plaintiff unable to walk for a period of time. She also suffered head trauma resulting in a concussion and tachycardia of the heart. She remained in pain for a substantial period of time and had to undergo rehabilitation to regain full use of her right leg. Following the accident, the plaintiff continues to work full-time as a credit analyst.

SETTLEMENT AMOUNT
The parties negotiated a $2,150,000 pre-trial settlement.

ATTORNEYS
This case was handled by Partner Stephen J. Murphy and Associate Christina Mercado.