$749,000 Recovery for Low Back Injury from Motor Vehicle Accident

In this combination medical malpractice and automobile accident case, a 25-year-old woman who sustained a disc injury to her lower back obtained a total settlement of $749,000 after three weeks of trial. The settlement was paid both on behalf of the driver of the motor vehicle that rear-ended her, and, the physiatrist who performed a discography that caused her to have seizures. Four months following her car accident, the client was referred to a physiatrist who was to perform a diagnostic procedure known as a discogram. During the procedure dye was apparently injected into the thecal sac. While in the recovery room, the dye traveled to the subarachnoid space in the woman’s brain, resulting in seizures. Following an emergency admission to the hospital, the client continued to have low back pain and complications of the seizures, including memory changes and frequent headaches. Michael Zerres, a BG partner, tried the case on behalf of the woman.