BBGA recovered $700,000 for a man who hurt his back in a tractor-trailer crash and required back surgery as a result of his injuries.
Francisco was driving his 2012 Ford Econoline, going about 15-miles-an-hour in traffic on I-85, when he was rear-ended by a tractor trailer. The impact smashed out the rear windows of his van and pushed it into the car in front of him. As a result of the crash, Francisco suffered injuries to his back, neck, chest, and left shoulder. He was transported by EMS to the hospital.
Following the crash, Francisco’s pain was so intense and debilitating it often caused him to vomit. The pain radiated from his spine to his shoulders, biceps, and fingers. It also caused numbness and pins and needles. The pain was so severe he was unable to return to his job as a flooring installer.
Doctors determined through an MRI of Francisco’s spine that he had two herniated discs pressing on his spinal cord. Lumbar discs are made of a gel-like material and situated between the vertebrae of the spine. Francisco was having issues with his L4-L5 and L5-S1 intervertebral discs.
One of the herniated discs was pressing on his ventral cord, causing mild-moderate bilateral neuroforaminal compromise. Basically, his spinal nerve root was compressed on both sides. He also had a tear in one of the herniated discs. Doctors fitted Francisco with a back brace and started him with physical therapy and cervical and lumbar trigger point injections.
After a month of doctors’ visits, rigorous physical therapy, and a consistent injection regiment, Francisco continued to have severe pain. Doctors determined he needed lumbar fusion surgery to correct the herniated discs and ease his pain. Lumbar fusion surgery, also called a spinal fusion, is a surgical technique that joins two or more vertebrae. Following his surgery, Francisco continued physical therapy and injections for more than a year as part of his recovery.
BBGA filed a lawsuit on behalf of Francisco against the trucking company and its driver. He enlisted experts to reconstruct the crash and gathered witness testimony to prove the driver was negligent in following too closely, failing to stop, and failing to exercise due care. Before the case went to trial, the insurance company chose to settle with Francisco for $700,000.
Francisco is doing well and almost fully recovered. We’re pleased to have helped him with his case and recover compensation for his injuries.
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