Mr. J was driving home after work when another driver rear-ended him. He broke his wrist in the wreck, requiring surgery to repair. Michael secured a settlement of $200,000, which was four times Mr. J’s medical bills. The settlement was notable because the case was filed in Jackson County, which is a conservative county without a history of large verdicts and settlements.
The Accident
Mr. J was driving on Winder Highway in Jackson County, Georgia. He was stopped in traffic when another driver crashed into him from behind. The force of the wreck pushed his car into the car in front of him and then into a ditch. Here’s what his car looked like after the wreck:
The Injuries
Mr. J was holding the steering wheel at the time of the wreck. Immediately after the wreck his wrist and arm hurt. EMS arrived at the scene and noted that he had a probable injury to his wrist and transported him to the hospital. The hospital took x-rays of his arm, which showed a fracture of the radius and ulna bone. The doctor reduced the fracture, which means to put it back into proper alignment, and put it into a cast and ordered him to follow up with an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in hand and wrist injuries.
The next week, Mr. J saw the orthopedic surgeon. The doctor took more x-rays of Mr. J’s arm to confirm that the bones were in proper alignment, which they were. He advised Mr. J that they would need to continue monitoring the alignment of his bones as they healed and if they did not heal correctly he would need to undergo surgery.
Mr. J continued to see the orthopedic surgeon over the next two months. While his arm appeared to be healing well, when the doctor ordered x-rays they unfortunately showed that the fracture had “collapsed,” meaning shortened and not healed correctly. This meant that Mr. J would not be able to regain full use of his arm and wrist. The doctor recommended surgery to correct it and Mr. J decided to undergo surgery. The surgery involved an osteotomy, which is where the doctor cuts the bone to lengthen it and properly align it, and then uses metal plate and screws to securely fix it in place and make sure it heals correctly.
Mr. J was in a cast for several weeks after the surgery. He then had several months of physical therapy to help regain strength and range of motion in his arm and wrist. While he made a good recovery, he does have some lingering pain and a scar from the surgery.
Lawsuit and Settlement
We sent a settlement demand to the other driver’s insurance company and they offered $100,000, which Mr. J and Michael thought was not a fair offer. We then filed a lawsuit against the other driver. After several months of litigation the other driver’s insurance offered $200,000, which Mr. J decided to accept. We’re glad we could help Mr. J and wish him the best in his recovery.