$1,725,000 Automobile Accident – Multiple Fractures

Injuries: Motor Vehicle Accident; L5-S1 burst fracture requiring spinal fusion, Lisfranc fracture (forefoot fracture-dislocation) requiring surgery, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), fracture of right orbit (eye sicket), fractured jaw, fracture palette requiring surgery

Amount of Settlement: $1,725,000.00

Special Damages: Medical expenses: approximately $180,000.00; lost earning capacity: approximately $40,000.00

Plaintiff’s Attorney: Ronald E. Gluck, Boston, Massachusetts

Court: Nassau County Supreme (New York state) Settled after twelve months of litigation

Other Useful Information

Plaintiff, a 26-year-old former minor league hockey player was a passenger in a Mazda Navaho vehicle. On the day of the accident he and four other young men had traveled from New York State to Western Massachusetts to go skiing. On the return trip to New York, after a full day of skiing, the driver fell asleep at the wheel. He awakened in time to realize that his vehicle had drifted approximately one foot off the roadway. The driver then attempted corrective action but overcompensated by turning his vehicle to the right causing it to flip over three times as it crossed one side of Route 84 to the other. The vehicle landed in the ditch. The plaintiff was hospitalized for approximately one month and underwent multiple surgeries over this period of time. Upon his discharge from the hospital, he underwent a rigorous regiment of physical therapy for approximately eight months. The plaintiff made a good recovery and is now employed in a scouting capacity by a national hockey league team. Plaintiff’s counsel, Ron Gluck, was admitted to the New York Bar, pro hac vice.