Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
An Illinois accident attorney at Abels & Annes has resolved a traffic collision case on behalf of one of our clients. The claim arises out of an incident which took place on April 24, 2011, at approximately 12:27 a.m. The plaintiff was injured when the automobile she was driving was T-boned by a vehicle being operated by a negligent driver.
Our client was driving northbound on Broadway at or near 150th in Harvey, Illinois. The defendant was driving her automobile westbound on 150th, approaching its intersection with Broadway. The intersection of Broadway and 150th is a four-way stop. She came to a complete stop at 150th, checked that traffic was clear, and proceeded through the intersection.
The other motorist failed to properly stop at the intersection and proceeded to cross Broadway, striking the rear passenger’s side of our client’s vehicle with the front end of her vehicle.
The Harvey Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. After speaking to both parties, the investigating officer placed the defendant at fault for the collision. The negligent motorist admitted to the responding officer that while she crossed the intersection, she looked away from the road and down to the floor of her vehicle, searching for CDs she dropped. She stated that she looked up just as she struck the plaintiff’s vehicle. She was cited for disobeying a stop sign. She also failed to yield to traffic.
We alleged to the defendant’s insurance carrier that their insured failed to stop and/or reduce her speed to avoid a collision, disobeyed a stop sign, failed to pay proper attention to the road conditions, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including our
Following the collision, our client had an immediate onset of neck, shoulder, and back pain.
Shortly after, she sought medical treatment from an orthopedic physician in Chicago. She complained of pain along the right side of her neck and right shoulder, made worse with motion of her neck, as well as lower back pain and a tingling sensation in her right arm and hand. A history was taken, a physical examination was performed and diagnostic tests were ordered. An exam revealed pain on palpation of the paracervical muscles and also of the supraspinatus muscle, increased with motion of the neck. She also had tenderness on palpation of the lumbar area. She was diagnosed with a sprain/strain of the cervical and lumbar spines. She was prescribed pain medication, instructed to begin physical therapy, and ordered to have x-rays of her cervical and lumbar spines taken.
Due to ongoing and increasing pain, the plaintiff returned to her doctor’s office for treatment on May 12, 2011. She complained of pain in her lower back which radiated to her left leg, numbness in her right thigh, and pain along her cervical spine. The physician reviewed the x-rays of her cervical and lumbar spine taken on May 6, 2011, which showed no fractures. He diagnosed her with a sprain/strain of the cervical and lumbar spines and ordered an MRI of her lumbar spine.
She next followed up on May 24, 2011. At that time, her doctor reviewed the MRI of her lumbar spine, which was taken on May 13, 2011. The MRI showed disc injuries at more than one level. She continued to complain of sharp lower back pain which radiated to her left leg. On exam, she had pain on palpation with muscle spasms of the paraspinal muscles. Her sensory reflexes were diminished in her left thigh. Her doctor then referred her to an orthopedic surgeon.
On her physician’s referral, she sought treatment from an orthopedic physician. At that time, she complained of constant sharp pain at her lower back which radiated caudally into both buttocks, thighs, and calves, as well as neck pain that radiated into both shoulders, arms, and hands. She also had moderate paresthesia. The pain was so severe that it affected her sleeping and prevented her from engaging in her regular activities. The doctor reviewed the MRI which identified disc herniations and diagnosed her with a lumbar disc injury/lumbar radiculopathy. He instructed her to continue physical therapy and to follow up with him for fluoroscopy guided right-sided L2-L3, L3-L4 and L4-L5 selective nerve root block, transforaminal epidural steroid injections.
Our client received the transforaminal epidural steroid injections on June 1, 2011 and interlaminar fluoroscopy guided lumbar epidural steroid injections on June 22, 2011 .
The car accident case settled for the defendant’s insurance policy limits of $20,000.
If you have been hurt in a collision, contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes for a free, no obligation consultation. Call us at 312-924-7575.
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