$3,500,000 Settlement for Multiple Surgeries, Including Lumbar Spinal Fusion

Our client was driving in New York City when she approached an intersection where she had the right of way. As she proceeded through it, she was suddenly hit on the driver’s side by another vehicle. As a result of the crash, she sustained multiple injuries, including a herniated disc at L5-S1 which required lumbar spinal fusion surgery as well as a laminotomy/facetectomy and discectomy. Represented by Block O’Toole & Murphy, she recovered a $3.5 million settlement.

Court and County
Supreme, Bronx

Plaintiff Description
Our client was 52 years old and working as the director of a day care at the time of the accident.

If you suffered spinal or other injuries after a serious accident, call 212-736-5300 to receive a free legal consultation from one of our experienced spinal injury attorneys.

Description of Case
Our client was driving on a Friday afternoon when she approached the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and Rosedale Avenue in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview. She continued on through the intersection as she had the right of way and no stop sign.

As she passed through the intersection, however, her vehicle was struck on the driver’s side door by the Defendant’s vehicle. Our client saw the Defendant just as the collision occurred. A witness started that the Defendant had a stop sign but ignored it in order to try and beat our client through the intersection.

Injuries/Damages
Our client suffered a variety of debilitating knee and back injuries in this accident. An MRI in the following weeks revealed that our client had sustained the following injuries in her left knee:

• Horizontal tear of the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus
• Extensive tear of the lateral meniscus involving the posterior third and body
• Partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
• Grade II injuries of the collateral ligaments
• Grade III chondromalacia involving the lateral femoral condyle
• Grade IV chondromalacia involving the lateral tibial plateau

The extent of her knee injuries significantly impacted our client’s ability to walk or climb stairs, and she underwent left knee arthroscopy, meniscectomy and chondroplasty soon after.

She also suffered multiple back injuries and was dealing with severe low back pain. Further examination revealed the following injuries in her cervical and lumbar spine:

• Focal right posterolateral disc herniation at C3/4 disc space level
• Reversal of the cervical lordosis
• Narrowing of the C5/6 disc space with loss of normal disc signal and disc height
• Right posterolateral bony ridge or calcified hard disc at C4/5 disc space
• Diffuse posterior bony ridge or calcified hard disc at C5/6 disc space
• Right paramedian disc herniation at C6/7
• Focal disc herniation at the L5/S1 level
• Lumbosacral derangement
• Severe low back pain radiating down both lower extremities
• Limited range of motion of the lumbosacral spine

Our client participated in regular physical therapy in an attempt to deal with her back injuries without having to undergo surgery. Four years after her initial accident and after much hard work spent in physical therapy, however, our client was still bothered by regular lower back pain which made it difficult to sleep or perform regular chores around the house. To bring her relief from her back pain, our client eventually underwent a L5/S1 laminotomy/facetectomy, discectomy and spinal fusion surgery.

Settlement Amount
$3,500,000

Handling Attorneys
This matter was handled by Partner Jeffrey A. Block.

Top Legal Representation in Lumbar Spinal Injury Cases

The attorneys at Block O’Toole & Murphy are skilled in litigating cases where our clients suffered significant injuries, including spinal cord injuries, as a result of another party’s negligence. While we cannot undo the damage that the accident caused, we can and will fight tirelessly for every dollar that our clients are legally entitled to.

Select results for clients who required lumbar spinal fusion after a serious accident include:

• $6,400,000 settlement in a Bronx case for a worker who required lumbar spinal fusion surgery after an on-the-job fall
• $6,000,000 settlement for a passenger on a Brooklyn public bus who underwent an anterior and posterior fusion to his lumbar spine after a crash
• $6,000,000 recovered for a worker who fell from a scaffold and sustained herniated discs to his lumbar spine, requiring fusion surgery at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels
• $5,500,000 settlement for a client who required lumbar fusion surgery after a truck sideswiped him
• $5,500,000 settlement for a worker with herniated discs at the L4/5 and L5/S1 levels after an elevator accident. He required a lumbar decompression and a spinal fusion.
• $5,160,000 verdict for a 38-year-old man who required 2 spinal fusion surgeries after a car crash in Queens, New York
• $5,000,000 verdict in a Brooklyn case for a 45-year-old worker who fell on the job and sustain multiple injuries, including a herniated disc at L4-S1 that required lumbar spinal fusion
• $4,900,000 settlement for a worker who underwent L5-S1 spinal fusion after he fell from a ladder on the job
• $4,650,000 settlement for a 42-year-old laborer who fell from a warehouse shelf and sustained herniated and bulging lumbar spinal discs, requiring open reduction internal fixation fusion surgery

To speak with an attorney today, please call 212-736-5300. We serve New York and New Jersey.