Facts

On Sept. 10, 2008, plaintiff Angela Wood, 39, was rear-ended by defendant Matthew Lieske, 18, who was driving his grandmother Suzanne Lieske's Volvo station wagon.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
Plaintiff contended that Suzanne Lieske was negligent in entrusting the Volvo to Matthew Lieske and that Matthew Lieske was negligent in the operation of the Volvo which caused the injuries to neck at C6-7.

DEFENDANT'S CONTENTIONS:
Defendants contended that the accident was not the cause of plaintiff's current complaints and that the injury at C6-7 was a pre-existing condition. Defendants disputed that all of the medical treatment claimed by plaintiff was necessitated by this accident

Specials in Evidence

Wood claimed medical costs in excess of $200,000.

Injuries

Wood had been involved in a previous accident in 1999 which resulted in her having a C4-6 fusion with instrumentation in 2000 and multiple nerve blocks through 2006. A small C6-7 disc herniation was diagnosed in 2003. Plaintiff alleged that, as a result of the 2008 accident, the C6-7 herniation became significant causing impingement and rotation of the spinal cord, in addition to narrowing the nerve root path. Wood underwent surgery in December 2008 removing the original hardware and replacing the C6-7 disc with an artificial disc. This did not resolve her complaints. She found an inpatient pain clinic and was treated there for three weeks. Although this helped, she had continued numbness and tingling in her hands. In November 2009, Wood underwent a laminotomy and foraminotomy at C6-7. Following the surgery, which involved sedation, Wood aspirated and was found unconscious at home and subsequently hospitalized. Wood contended that she still has neck and back pains and some numbness and tingling in her hands.

Result

The case settled at mediation for $600,000.

Other Information

FILING DATE: June 2, 2009.