$1,060,000 for Worker After Aggravated Back Injury in Motor Vehicle Accident

COURT AND COUNTY

Supreme Court, New York County

OCCUPATION OF PLAINTIFF
Plaintiff was a Cablevision customer service representative at the time of the accident.

DESCRIPTION OF CASE
The case stemmed from a two-vehicle collision that occurred at an intersection in Huntington, New York. The Plaintiff was a passenger in a Toyota Camry operated by his mother, which had no stop sign as it entered the intersection. The Defendant vehicle was a Volkswagen, approaching from the other street, which did have a stop sign at the intersection.

DAMAGES
Plaintiff refused medical attention at the accident scene. Later, he began complaining of lower back pain. Plaintiff had a long history of radiating lower back pain prior to this accident, from multiple prior car accidents and falls, for which he treated at various hospital emergency rooms and with physical therapy under the care of multiple physicians. A lumbar spine MRI that was taken prior to this accident revealed a large herniated disc at the L4/5 level of Plaintiff’s lower back.

Following this accident, Plaintiff claimed his lower back pain worsened, causing him to undergo physical therapy and eventually a back surgery. Plaintiff’s back surgery consisted of a decompression, discectomy and fusion at the L4/5 and L5/S1 levels. Shortly following the surgery, Plaintiff stopped all medical treatment.

Plaintiff missed virtually no time from work as a result of this accident. Plaintiff’s claims were for pain and suffering and medical expenses.

SETTLEMENT
This matter was settled prior to trial for $1,060,000. The case was handled by firm partners Stephen J. Murphy and David L. Scher.