Defendant pulled out in front of truck going 45 mph – $725,000 Settlement

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On Oct. 24, 2013, the defendant’s Ford F-150 pickup truck pulled from a stop sign di­rectly in front of the 1985 Ford flatbed work truck that was traveling at a speed of 45 miles per hour. A box of bolts weighing 20 pounds rammed into plaintiff’s left elbow when the trucks collided. On impact the plaintiff’s head and body were violently jerked forward and back without warning.

Plaintiff suffered from neck pain; low back pain with foraminal stenosis at L4/L5 and lat­eral recess stenosis at L3/L4; left forearm con­tusion/pain with radiation and numbness into his left hand and middle two fingers.

Plaintiff had a multilevel lumbar laminec­tomy to relieve pressure and pain off of the L3 and L4 spinal nerves. Following the surgery the plaintiff was diagnosed with post laminec­tomy syndrome. Plaintiff also had left elbow debridement surgery to resolve the pain and numbness in his left arm, hand and middle two fingers.

[16-T-030]

Type of action: Personal Injury – Auto Accident
Injuries alleged: L3/L4 lumbar laminectomy, left elbow debridement, and neck pain
Name of case: Richards v. Rich
Court: Westmoreland County Circuit Court
Case no.: CL150000-27
Tried before: Mediation
Name of judge or mediator: Johanna Fitzpat­rick
Date resolved: Feb. 2, 2016
Verdict or settlement: Settlement
Amount: $725,000.00
Attorneys for plaintiff: Bryan L. Meadows, Fredericksburg; J. Penn Crawford, Richmond
Plaintiff’s experts: Abilio Reis, MD, J. Mark Evans, MD
Insurance carrier: The Cincinatti Group; Pro­gressive Insurance Company; and ZurichAmerican Insurance Group (Workers’ Compensation)