It was a sunny day in May when a 37-year-old woman was commuting on her electric bike. While stopped for a red light, a cement truck turned into her lane, knocked her over, and drove over her left leg. The driver of the cement truck then reversed and drove over her leg a second time. As a result, the woman suffered a severe crushing injury of her left foot and ankle with multiple fractures. She was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery, which was the first of what would be five surgeries. There were complications with her big toe, and ultimately, it had to be amputated. She also developed hammer toe, and delayed union at her metatarsal. Further, she suffered from significant nerve pain and was diagnosed with chronic regional pain syndrome.
In addition to her acute and trauma care, she was treated with chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, dermatology, and nutrition. For mobility, she relied on a wheelchair, walker, and cane. Due to nerve pain, swelling, and the amputation of her big toe, her balance, gait, and ability to move did not reach pre-injury status. She also suffered psychologically due to the traumatic nature of this injury and the ongoing impact it will have on her and her family’s life.
Early Investment in Experts Resulted in a Large Settlement Fast and Without Litigation
This injury was a devastating blow to our client’s life. At the time, she was going to school for a master’s degree, gearing up to start her own business, and had a young and growing family that loved to travel. Her constant pain, decreased mobility, and complications in fulfilling her basic daily needs meant a timely resolution would allow her to accommodate her needs and move on with her plans in life as best she could.
Mediation was scheduled prior to filing a lawsuit, and our client received a $5.75 million settlement at mediation without the added stress, time, and expense of filing a lawsuit. We credit this to our early investment in the case and getting the best experts on board, including an accident reconstructionist, psychological evaluation, and vocational assessment. This is also due to quick videos and plenty of injury photos by Attorney Preet Kode throughout the course of her treatment, which were heart-rending to see.