Mr. W was riding his motorcycle when a driver coming the opposite direction made an illegal u-turn in front of him. He crashed into the car and was thrown from his motorcycle, which burst into flames. Mr. W suffered a mild traumatic brain injury in the wreck, fractures in his neck and back and a broken wrist. Michael secured a $1,250,000 settlement for Mr. W, which was the policy limits of the other driver’s insurance.
Here’s what Mr. W had to say about our work:
The Injuries
Mr. W was life-flighted from the scene of the accident to the hospital. He was intubated and put on a ventilator. Over the course of his 24-day hospital stay, Mr. W was treated for the following injuries:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Carotid artery injury
- A C6-7 vertebrae injury
- Compression fractures in his T5 and T9 vertebrae
- Transverse process fractures of T6, T7, T8, T9, and T10 vertebrae
- Left and right collapsed lungs
- Fractured ulna and radius bones that broke through the skin on his left arm
Further complicating issues, Mr. W developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia, forcing him to use a ventilator and a tracheostomy tube for over 2 weeks.
The Impact of Mr. W’s Injuries
Mr. W does not remember the wreck itself, only that he went out for a motorcycle ride and that it was a beautiful normal day.
The next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital weeks later. He was intubated and couldn’t talk and could barely move. He was confused and upset about where he was and what had happened to him. He felt completely helpless and terrified. Then he lost consciousness again.
When Mr. W regained consciousness and was able to stay awake for longer periods, doctors inserted a valve in Tanner’s tracheotomy to allow him to talk. When he talked for the first time, he says it sounded “like air coming out” and that no one could understand him. He hated having the tracheotomy and the tube as they were uncomfortable and limited his movement and were a constant reminder of his injuries and limitations. When doctors removed the tube and reversed the tracheotomy, he felt that it was a huge milestone in his recovery.
Due to his traumatic brain injury and the lengthy amount of time that he was unconscious, Mr. W had to relearn many activities of daily living. He needed help eating, opening containers, brushing his teeth, taking a shower, going to the bathroom, getting dressed and putting on and tying his shoes and even had to learn how to walk again. Mr. W has always been a very independent person and found it very frustrating to have to rely on someone else for as basic an activity as getting dressed or brushing his teeth.
Physically, Mr. W is still recovering from his injuries. He lost 25 pounds while in the hospital and is working on regaining his strength and weight. Tanner still does not have full use of his left arm. His range of motion and grip strength are limited, and his fingers often feel like they are asleep. Mr. W’s neck and back begin hurting if he sits or stands for too long. He has difficulty and pain getting into a squatting position and his kneecap often feels as if it is numb. Mr. W used to do the yardwork and help with the household chores at his and his wife’s house but is currently unable to do so. For instance, he and his wife recently decorated their house for Christmas. They keep the decorations in the attic and Mr. W was unable to pull down the ladder and climb the stairs to the attic.
Mentally, Mr. W’s traumatic brain injury has affected his cognition and his personality. It takes longer for him to process and understand new information. When he is talking, he will have difficulty finding the right word and he feels like he has to hunt and search for the right word of phrase to use. He now feels like he has to mentally compose what he is going to say in his head before he speaks, which he never had to do before. Emotionally, Mr. W now gets overwhelmed and frustrated far quicker than he used to. If he is in a stressful situation or a situation where there is a lot going on, he often gets overwhelmed and wants to leave. He often finds himself overreacting to situations and he has to tell himself that this isn’t as big of an issue as he’s making it out to be.
Mr. W now has a large scar on his neck where the tracheotomy was. It is in a very visible location and people often stare at it or ask what happened, which has caused him to be self-conscious about the scar. For instance, Mr. W and his wife went to a Halloween party where several small children were there. The children asked him about the scar, which made him self-conscious and upset. When Mr. W is in a situation where he may meet a new person, he is especially self-conscious that someone will ask about the scar and he’ll have to explain, again, what happened.
The Settlement
Michael helped Mr. W secure a $1,250,000 settlement with State Farm insurance. We’re glad to have helped Mr. W and wish him the best in his recovery.