Pelvic injuries are often very serious and can inhibit a car accident victim’s ability to walk. In a recent case, a woman on the way to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg suffered pelvic injuries in a Virginia rear-ender crash.
The woman was awarded $2 million by a jury after she was hit from behind by a dump truck in Prince William County.
A report in Virginia Lawyers Weekly noted the victim was hit from behind twice by a large dump truck on I-95. The woman was a legal secretary aged 43 from Pennsylvania. She was struck from behind on two occasions by the dump truck.
The crash caused damage estimated at $8,000 to the woman’s car. The truck only sustained minor damage.
The woman felt neck, back, and abdominal/pelvic pain after the impact. Although the neck and back pain went away after a five-week course of treatment, the pain in her pelvis did not.
The Virginia Lawyers Weekly report stated she felt she was totally full and she was “holding it” with a 10-pound weight on top of her bladder. Emptying her bladder failed to relieve the symptoms. Almost a year after the crash, the woman tried to resume intimate relations with her husband but was unable to do so due to the pain.
More than three-and-a-half years on, she suffered the same issues. She was referred to a urologist who diagnosed a bladder condition called interstitial cystitis.
Pelvic injuries in car crashes can take many forms. People suffering from with osteoporosis or other bone-weakening conditions may experience a fracture, even during a collision at a slow speed. Pelvic injuries can inhibit a patient’s ability to walk and may be accompanied by life-threatening conditions such as internal bleeding.
The pelvic injuries sustained in a Virginia rear-ender crash resulted in the woman from Pennsylvania suffering a series of painful tests and procedures. None of them worked.
The woman’s pelvic floor muscles were in a constant state of spasm, like a charlie horse. It caused her constant pain and meant she was unable to be sexually active.
A treating urogynecologist and a retained urogynecologist told the legal case they believed the woman’s pelvic floor injury was permanent.
The trucking company admitted liability for the crash, but disputed claims that the injuries were permanent.
The plaintiff asked the jury to for a verdict of $$1.2 million. Defense counsel argued $75,000 was more appropriate. The jury returned a verdict of $2 million with interest from the date of the crash.
The jury retired for just 23 minutes, according to reports. The woman was represented by attorneys Donna Miller Rostant and Ann LaCroix Jones from Fairfax County.
The case illustrates the painful and debilitating nature of pelvic injuries. Even when bones are not broken, an injury of this nature can ruin the victim’s quality of life.
We have previously noted how wrecks involving dump trucks can be very serious.
Dump trucks are massive and heavy vehicles with poor visibility. If you have sustained a serious injury in Virginia due to the fault of another driver, please call our Virginia tucking accident team at (757) 333-3333.
