Rear Impact Exacerbates Pre-existing Injuries

• Our client was a restrained back-seat passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for traffic when it received a hard rear-end impact.
• He began having severe pain in his head and neck and blurred vision, indicating that he probably struck his head on something in the vehicle.
• Later that day he went to the emergency room at Swedish Medical Center where he was given a thorough examination. His pain level was reported as 7/10 in the shoulders bilaterally, neck and head.
• CT scans of the head and neck were ordered and revealed C5-6 and C6-7 degenerative changes and C5-6 bilateral neural foraminal stenosis. These conditions were aggravated by the auto accident causing his pain.
• On 12-10-2014 Walter went to his primary care doctor who noted the acute cervical strain and bilateral should pain and headaches. She prescribed Vicodin for pain and physical therapy.
• His pain evaluation at his first physical therapy appointment noted an inability to look down or side to side without pain which impairs his ability to safely drive. He also has pain when reachng for dressing.
• He continued physical therapy for several weeks but continued to have significant pain. He decided to try chiropractic care to get relief.
• The chiropractor diagnosed contiued pain in the shoulders, cervical spine, hip and headaches. X-rays noted the degenerative disc disease that was aggravated by this accident.
• He continued with chiropractic care for several weeks and noted some relief from his pain. It was recommended that he continue with the treatement but he had to discontinue due to family circumstances.
• He suffered months of pain from the injuries received in this accident.
• When a client has injuries that pre-exist the current accident it is more difficult to negotiate a settlement. It is importent that the attorney has the expertise and experience to prove that the pre-existing injuries were exacerbated by the current accident thus making them compensable.
• After several weeks of intense negotiations, attorney Chuck Martin was able to obtain a substantial mid-five figure settlement for our client.

If you or a loved one is injured in a motor vehicle accident, call attorney Chuck Martin of the law firm of MartinLaw PLLC for a free evaluation of your case. Chuck will use his 40 years of experience to guide you through the frustrating process of dealing with the insurance companies and obtain the best possible settlement for you in the least amount of time. Call Chuck now at 206-360-8141.

Coast Guardsman Victim of Hit & Run Driver

• This was a serious accident in which the at-fault driver was traveling approximately 50 to 60 mph while trying to pass another vehicle when he slammed into our client who was going about 30 to 35 mph.
• The at-fault driver left the scene but was apprehended a short time later and cited for causing the accident and hit and run. He was complaining of back pain at the scene.
• Our client, then serving in the U.S. Coast Guard, was driving a GMC Sierra pick-up which sits higher off the road than a passenger vehicle. The at-fault vehicle was an Oldsmobile Aurora which, during the collision, went under our client’s vehicle. This explains the relatively low dollar amount of the property damage but does not diminish the force of the impact causing injuries to both drivers.
• Our client began having neck and back pain immediately and went to Urgent Care for treatment the same day as the accident. The pain intensity was noted to be 8 out of 10.
• Our client called Urgent Care the next day to report that the pain medication they prescribed was not helping. He was advised to go to an emergency room.
• He went to the ER at Harrison Hospital where his medications were changed and he was advised to seek follow-up care.
• He underwent treatment at Westwood Village Chiropractic for four months. His pain threshold was lower due to the pain medication.
• Once his enlistment in the Coast Guard was completed he moved back to his hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
• His complaints of neck and back pain remained so he continued his treatment with the Albuquerque Neck and Back Pain Center.
• His medical bills totaled $7,611.70.
• He missed time from his job with the Coast Guard, but he is not pursuing a loss of wages claim.
• After several weeks of intense negotiations, attorney Chuck Martin was able to obtain a substantial mid-five figure settlement for our client.

If you or a loved one is injured in a motor vehicle accident, call attorney Chuck Martin of the law firm of MartinLaw PLLC for a free evaluation of your case. Chuck will use his 40 years of experience to guide you through the frustrating process of dealing with the insurance companies and obtain the best possible settlement for you in the least amount of time. Call Chuck now at 206-360-8141.

Whiplash leads to Trigger Point Injection

  • Our client was a restrained driver of a vehicle that was stopped for traffic when it was slammed into by the defendant’s vehicle.
  • She experienced whiplash which caused her to hit her head on the back of the seat. Her knee hit the dash.  She felt a band of pain around her abdomen.
  • She went to the emergency room at Swedish Medical Center where she was diagnosed with cervical strain. She was referred to the Swedish Family Medicine Cherry Hill Clinic.
  • The doctor at Cherry Hill noted that she had pain shooting up her neck to her head on the left and down her left arm and described it as a “numbing ache”. The pain was getting worse.  She was diagnosed with sprain of the left trapezius muscle.
  • When she returned to the clinic two weeks later the pain was not getting any better and was interrupting her sleep. Muscle spasms in the trapezius were observed. Trigger point injections were offered but declined for now.  She was referred for physical therapy.
  • She began physical therapy where they focused primarily on the left trapezius as the pain there was preventing a good night’s sleep.
  • Her pain continued so she was also referred for massage therapy..
  • She continued physical therapy for almost six months.
  • She continued to report significant pain in her left trapezius muscle so she was given a trigger point injection.

Our client was in considerable pain for seven months after this accident as shown by her extended course of treatment and acceptance of the trigger point injection.  She incurred medical bills of $5,900.00.  The medical records also document that her injuries interferred with her activities at her job and with efforts to find suitable employment after her job ended.

If you or a loved one is injured in a motor vehicle accident, you need to call attorney Chuck Martin of the law firm of MartinLaw PLLC for a free evaluation of your case. Chuck will use his 40 years of experience to guide you through the frustrating process of dealing with the insurance companies and obtain the best possible settlement for you in the least amount of time. Call Chuck now at 206-360-8141.

Teenage Girl Suffers Severe Facial Injuries

• Our client, a 14-year-old girl, was a front-seat passenger traveling with her mother and 9-year-old brother northbound on Newport Way NW near NW Holly Street in Issaquah, Washington.
• The defendant driver was stopped on Newport Way NW and NW Holly Street when he suddenly turned left to in front of our clients’ vehicle to head east on NW Holly Street.
• This caused a high-speed head-on collision into defendant’s vehicle.
• The airbags deployed on impact and struck our client in the face.
• The Issaquah Police Department responded to the scene and found our client had already been transported by ambulance to Swedish Hospital.
• The officers spoke with defendant and a witness and found defendant to be clearly at fault for the accident. He was issued a citation for an improper left turn.
• Both vehicles were towed from the scene and were determined to be total losses.

INJURIES AND TREATMENT

• Our client was taken by ambulance to Swedish Medical Center and placed in the critical care unit of the emergency department.
• She reported significant pain in her nose with swelling and numbness, burning in her eyes, pain with opening her eyes, difficulty seeing, and a headache after being struck in the face by the airbag.
• The examining doctor noted her pain increasing while in the emergency room, profound swelling to the periorbital area and over her nose, ecchymosis forming in the right nasal field of her eye, and persistent bleeding.
• He diagnosed a nose bone fracture without question, ordered a CT head scan and lab work, provided pain medication via IV, examined and irrigated her eyes, and discussed her condition with her parents.
• Following several hours of observation and pain management, she was given Valium due to anxiety with getting into a vehicle to go home and discharged to her parents with instructions to see an ophthalmologist and an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT), and given prescriptions for Augmentin, Lortab Elixir, and Zofran.
• She was seen the next day by the ENT specialist with severe facial swelling, difficulty opening her eyes, and associated nasal congestion.
• The examination confirmed severe periorbital, malar, nasal, and frontal edema and ecchymosis, severe edema along the nasal root and external nose with bloody discharge, and septum hypertonicity.
• Reviewed of the CT scan and advised her to return for a repeat evaluation in one week for consideration of a closed nasal bone reduction.
• Due severe pain, breathing problems through her fractured nose and vision difficulties, our client returned to the emergency room two additional times.
• Isabella returned to the EMT doctor with persistent swelling around her nose.
• The examination identified widening of the middle third of her nose and recommended another week of continued observation.
• On her next visit our client reported flattening of her right nasal bone after the edema had subsided.
• The doctor offered the option of a closed nasal bone reduction surgery and our client elected to consider the procedure and follow up by telephone.
• Our client reported to the ophthalmologist, and it was noted she had vision loss in one eye, eye irritation, light sensitivity, blurry vision, nasal congestion, nosebleeds, poor balance as a result of vision loss, and depression and anxiety while riding in cars and recommended follow-up in six months for repeat testing.
• Our client sought another opinion from another ENT specialist.
• He observed flattening of her right nasal bone with lateralization of her left nasal bone in keystone area and concurred with the original ENT doctor’s recommendation of a closed nasal bone reduction.
• She was also advised she may require additional surgery, including rhinoplasty, to address any persistent deformity.
• Our client underwent a closed nasal bone reduction under general anesthesia.
• Our client returned for post-operative care. It was noted she healing appropriately, and was directed to return in six weeks.
• On a return visit for post-op evaluation, it was noted she had a deviation of dorsal septum at keystone region to the left and internally high dorsal deflection of septum to the left.
• He recommended a re-evaluation when she turns 16 for possible surgery on her dorsal septum deviation both externally and internally.
• Our client consulted with the ophthalmologist and discussed continuing enlargement of her left pupil compared to her right, light sensitivity, and blurred vision.
• His exam was notable for anisocoria with her left pupil greater than her right and sectoral palsy of her left pupil from 12:00 to 4:00 on the pupillary margin.
• He advised that while her pupil would likely get gradually smaller, it would never react to light as fully as the right pupil.
• He directed her to wear sunglasses for light sensitivity and follow-up with her eye care provider.
• Her optometrist proceeded with a comprehensive eye exam. She reported blurry vision worse in one eye when looking long distances. She prescribed glasses and instructed her to return in one month to re-check her eye pressure.
• Our client sought consultation with plastic surgeon and discussed a substantial dorsal hump over her nose over the past two years since the accident.
• The examination confirmed the existence of a dorsal hump and recommended addressing it through cosmetic rhinoplasty.
• Our client was been advised by the plastic surgeon that her appearance can be improved with a revision cosmetic nasal contouring rhinoplasty once she turns eighteen or nineteen years old and her bones have stopped growing.

GENERAL DAMAGES

• Our client’s injuries in this collision were devasting and required lengthy healing. For weeks after the accident, her face was so swollen, she was unable to open her eyes. The pain from her swelling and trauma caused difficulty sleeping and breathing.
• Once she returned to school approximately a month after the accident, she wore a hat every day to hide her disfigured face, was called names by teachers and students alike, dealt with lowering of her grades, and became humiliated and depressed.
• Her volleyball season was cut short requiring full payment by her parents as a contractual agreement and dashing her hopes for a college career playing volleyball.

PRESENT CONDITION AND PROGNOSIS

• To date, our client, now eighteen-years-old, remains self-conscious of her deformed nose and dilated eye. She isolates, avoids activities that could potentially result in injury to her nose or eyes, and shies away from meeting people not in her immediate family or small circle of friends. She has never had a boyfriend or a date.
• She experiences severe anxiety and fear while driving and will not drive at night, on the freeway, or on any busy roads.
• When the accident occurred, she was playing volleyball on her school team and receiving recruitment inquiries from colleges. Due to her lack of playing time and poor performance following the collision, she has received no further scholarship offers or inquiries.
• Her left eye is permanently dilated with only partial ability to regulate light.
• She has no idea what her nose will look like after next surgery or what her future prognosis may be.
After several weeks of intense negotiations, attorney Chuck Martin was able to obtain a substantial mid-six figure settlement for our client.

If you or a loved one is injured in a motor vehicle accident, you need to call attorney Chuck Martin of the law firm of MartinLaw PLLC for a free evaluation of your case. Chuck will use his 40 years of experience to guide you through the frustrating process of dealing with the insurance companies and obtain the best possible settlement for you in the least amount of time. Call Chuck now at 206-360-8141.

Texting Teenager Causes Collision

• A texting teenaged girl slammed into our client’s vehicle as he was stopped at a traffic control light. She alleged that she was only going five miles per hour at the time of collision, but the damage to the vehicles indicated a higher speed.
• The damage to the client’s vehicle was greater than originally stated on the repair invoice. He continued to find damage on his vehicle that was not addressed by the repair shop. The repair shop was chosen by at fault insurance company, USAA.
• Our client was in severe pain after the accident and went to the ER at Swedish Hospital.
• The pain medication prescribed at Swedish was not effective, so he went to the ER at Harborview the next day.
• As a result of this accident, our client suffered an L4-5 annular tear causing a central protrusion of the ventral thecal sac and an L5-S1 disc bulge effacing 15% of the thecal sac and touching the left S1 nerve root, all as revealed on the MRI. This explains the severe pain he has endured since the accident and the need for extended medical treatment.
• The accident has caused panic attacks, anxiety, headaches, and insomnia. He has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from the accident. His anxiety level was rated as 10/10. His prior stress and anxiety conditions were under control and causing him no difficulty, but the accident has caused a recurrence and exacerbation of the pre-existing conditions.
The fact that there were minimal damages to the vehicles was raised by the insurance adjuster to minimize the value of the claim. The first attorney that the client consulted informed him that $1,000 was the most he would be able to recover and that he should handle the claim himself. The client then contacted attorney Chuck Martin after seeing his webpage. After two months preparing the settlement package, the claim was settled for $36,000.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, call attorney Chuck Martin for a free consultation and an evaluation of the value of your case.

At Fault Driver With “Daylight Driving Only” Restriction

• Our client was stopped in traffic on Meeker Street in Kent when the negligent driver slammed into the rear of his vehicle causing him to hit the vehicle in front of him. He thus suffered two impacts.
• It is noteworthy that the negligent driver had a “Daylight Driving Only” restriction on his driver’s license. The accident occurred at 17:40 (5:40 pm), which in January in the Pacific Northwest it is already dark.
• Due to intense neck pain and a spliting headache, our client went to the MultiCare Urgent Care Clinic where he was treated with Toradol for pain and Flexeril, a muscle relaxant. He was diagnosed with cervical sprain, muscle spasms, headaches with radiation around the sides of the head, and nausea.
• As stated in the Patient Instructions, a cervical (neck) sprain or strain is a tear of a muscles or tendons around the neck. It can take up to six weeks to recover.
• The Urgent Care report indicates that our client was excused from work.
• The enclosed lost earnings statement from his employer shows his lost income. The supplementary statement from his supervisor describes the physical problems he was having on the job.
• His condition did not improve and he returned to Urgent Care. The report indicates that he possibly had a brief loss of consciousness at the time of the accident. He continued to have headaches in the back of his head, dizziness, feeling “out-of-it” and spacey. CT scan of the head found bilateral nasal bone fractures.
• The significant diagnosis of the January 15 visit was “concussion syndrome” with referral to the Concussion Clinic. It was also noted that he continued to suffer from the cervical sprain/strain and spasms previously diagnosed.
• The Urgent Care notes for January 31 indicate that he continued to have problems and was calling for an appointment.
• The notes from his next appointment on February 5 indicate that his headaches were continuing to be a concern. The doctor describes the headaches as pain starting at the neck and causing pressure around his head. The headaches are constant.
• His next encounter was on February 19 for a two week renewal of his medications.
• He endured several weeks of pain and headaches, and suffered the consequences of a concusion. The effects of concussions often cause problems for years after the injury.

Attorney Chuck Martin was able to negotiate a substantial settlement for this client. If you or a friend or family member have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you should contact the law firm of MartinLaw as soon as possible. Statistics compiled by the Insurance Research Council show that people with attorneys recover three and a half times larger settlements than those who try to go it alone. This is why insurance adjusters attempt get injured parties to quickly sign a release in return for a substantially lower settlement than what their case is worth.