Ms. N was driving to run an errand when another driver pulled out in front of her. She tried to stop but couldn’t and crashed into the other driver’s car. The wreck injured her wrist and she ultimately required surgery to repair it. Michael secured a $350,000 settlement for Ms. N, which was over three times her medical bills.
The Wreck
Ms. N was driving on Flat Shoals Parkway in Dekalb County, Georgia. Another driver pulled out from a bank parking lot almost directly in front of her. She tried to stop but couldn’t and crashed into his car. Here’s what her car looked like after the wreck:
Police and an ambulance came to the scene and first responders examined Ms. N. Their medical records noted that she couldn’t remember most of the accident. The records reported an “obvious deformity to her left wrist” and that “the bone appeared to be protruded upwards but not penetrating through the skin.” The ambulance transported Ms. N to Grady Hospital for additional treatment.
The Aftermath
At the hospital, the emergency room physician ordered MRIs of Ms. N’s wrist. They showed that she had broken the lunate bone and torn the scapholunate ligament in her wrist. The doctor set Ms. N’s wrist in a cast and discharged her with instructions to follow up with an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in wrist injuries.
Ms. N then began seeing an orthopedic surgeon at Resurgeons Orthopedics who confirmed. The doctor prescribed cortisone injections and then several rounds of physical therapy for her wrist. When they didn’t help and Ms N. continued to have pain and limited range of motion in her left hand, the doctor recommended surgery.
Ms. N decided to proceed with the surgery, which involved removing the broken lunate bone and repairing the broken scapholunate ligament. After the surgery, Ms. N’s wrist was in a cast for six weeks. She then required five months of physical therapy. While she fortunately made a good recovery, she continues to have some pain and limited range of motion in her wrist.
Lawsuit & Settlement
The other driver’s insurance’s initial settlement offer barely covered Ms. N’s medical bills. Michael filed suit and prepared the case for trial, including getting testimony from Ms. N’s treating surgeon confirming that her wrist injury was caused by the wreck and describing how Ms. N’s injuries would continue to affect her. Shortly before the case was scheduled to go to trial, the case was resolved at mediation for $350,000.
We’re pleased to have helped Ms. N and wish her the best in her continued recovery.