School Bus Accident Leads to Traumatic Brain Injury – Case Study

Year: 2018

Accident Type: Motor Vehicle Accident. Our client was struck by a school bus. The defendant heavily disputed responsibility for the accident.

Per Accident Reconstruction Expert, D bus driver was speeding at 55mph, in 45mph, and Defendant testified repeatedly that they were doing 40mph. Defendant ran red light per accident reconstruction expert.

Injury Type:

-Traumatic brain injury
-Post-traumatic amnesia following traumatic brain injury
-Post concussion syndrome with residual neuropsych symptomatology, confirmed by treating neuropsych, nf ime doctor, and dme(confirms severe impairments     throughout)-attention, memory and reasoning deficits
-Adjustment disorder with depression
-Decreased awareness of neuropsychological deficits
-Bi-frontal subdural hygromas
-Hemorrhagic contusions involving the right temporal lobe and right insular cortex
-Hemorrhagic shear injuries within the right inferior frontal lobe and right sub-insular region subarachnoid hemorrhage
-Hulti compartmental hemorrhages with bi-frontal convexity
extra-axial collections
-Scalp hematoma over the vertex
-Hypodense shearing injury within right inferior frontal lobe and right subinsular region
-Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy – surgery to insert
feeding tube (weight loss of approximately 30 lbs – required feeding tube for 25 days)(5/20/15 – 6/13/15)
-Bilateral pubic rami fractures with displacement of the distal fragment and adjacent hematoma and retrocaval hematoma
-Increased gap in the symphysis pubis
-Abdominal arteriogram possible coiling, pelvic vessels
-Empiric embolization of right hypogastric artery anterior
division performed
-Enlarging pelvic hematoma
-Left sacral ala fracture with vertical depression to the left s1 neural foramen
-Left nondisplaced 7th and 8th rib fractures
-Left s1 fracture
-Right peroneal deep vein thrombosis (venous duplex performed)
-Blood transfusions on may 5, 2015, may 6, 2015 and may 7, 2015
-Dense foreign bodies within left elbow – largest measuring 5mm
-Foreign bodies seen adjacent to right zygomatic arch just anterior to the external auditory canal at the level of the temporomandibular joint
-Significant complex scalp laceration with surgical repair,
-Galea repair with sutures and staple repair of skin
-Facial laceration with sutures with permanent scarring on right side
of face and neckline
-Atelectasis left lung base
-Right adrenal hematoma
-Right frontal scalp laceration/hematoma

How did TonaLaw help?

TonaLaw litigated this matter for almost two and one-half years, retaining multiple experts to prove the case including an Accident Reconstruction Expert, Neuropsychologist, and others. On the eve of trial, Defendants requested a pre-trial mediation. After an exhaustive 9 hour mediation, the matter settled.

Verdict/Settlement Amount: $750,000.