Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Auto Accident Attorneys from Abels & Annes, P.C. have settled a case for a Chicago resident stemming from an August 2008 car crash. The plaintiff was driving southbound on Luna near its intersection with Bryn Mawr. When our client was most of the way through the intersection she saw the defendant’s car traveling at a very fast rate of speed (over 50 mph) eastbound on Bryn Mawr. That is twice the speed limit in this residential neighborhood.
The front end of the defendant’s vehicle hit the rear passenger side of the plaintiff’s vehicle. The force of the impact was so great that it caused our client’s Jeep Cherokee to flip over on its side and skid on its side across the roadway. The driver’s side window was open and her arm got caught between the door and the street and was dragged along the pavement as the vehicle slid. After her car came to a rest the defendant exited his vehicle and fled the scene of the collision on foot.
The defendant was negligent, in that he failed to keep a proper lookout, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area.
Immediately after the collision our client had severe arm pain and back pain. Her arm was bleeding profusely and obviously injured.
The plaintiff was taken by ambulance from the scene of the collision to Resurrection Medical Center’s Emergency Department. A history was taken, she was examined and diagnostic testing was performed. She complained of excruciating left arm pain and back pain. She had significant abrasions to her left arm. X-rays identified numerous foreign bodies in her wrist and forearm, specifically in the ulnar aspect of the wrist and the radial aspect of the forearm, which were required to be extracted before the wound could be cleaned and dressed. She was prescribed pain medication and at the time of discharge instructed to seek follow up medical care.
The day after being released from the hospital our client sought follow up treatment with an orthopedic surgeon. She complained of significant discomfort in her left arm. The doctor identified profound road rash over the entire dorsal aspect of her forearm. The doctor advised her to keep her arm elevated, apply antibiotic gauze and to change her dressing daily. She saw the client for follow up on her arm again on August 22, 2008. She was instructed to continue applying antibiotic gauze dressings on a daily basis.
Despite the medical care she had received, the plaintiff’s arm continued to be extremely painful and appeared to be at risk of becoming infected. She next went to Swedish Covenant Hospital Emergency Department for evaluation and treatment. Upon examination her skin integrity was found to be “Non Intact” with “Pink Granulating Tissue Noted”. Her wound was cleaned, disinfected and re-dressed.
Medical expenses incurred by our client so far total Three Thousand Three Hundred Forty-Two and 75/100 Dollars ($ 3,342.75).
As a result of the injuries she suffered in this collision the plaintiff now has several permanent scars on her left arm including large keloid scars and large discolored and rough areas. These scars are permanent.
The defendant’s insurance carrier offered it’s policy limits of $20,000. At this point the case is not over. Our firm is going to pursue an under-insured motorist claim against our client’s own insurance policy to collect additional funds.