Head-On Collision in Belle Glade, Florida by Uninsured Motorist
Our client in this case was a 31 year old divorced father who has sole custody of his 11 year old son.
On a rainy afternoon in June, the victim of this Florida uninsured motorists claim was traveling in Belle Glade, Florida on County Road 880 when another motorist lost control of his vehicle, causing him to enter the oncoming lane of traffic and strike our client’s vehicle virtually head-on. When he saw the other vehicle coming toward him, our client did hit the brakes and turned to the right as much as possible, but there was nothing he could do to avoid this crash. There was massive damage to both vehicles. Fortunately, our client was wearing his seat belt when this accident occurred.
The victim in this case was transported via ambulance to the hospital in Belle Glade. Once the extent of his severe injuries was ascertained, it was determined that he had to be immediately transferred to a trauma hospital. Accordingly, he was taken via ambulance to a hospital in Delray Beach, Florida, where he was treated for a constellation of traumatic injuries. X-rays revealed that he had suffered severe injuries to his left hip, including a fracture, and displacement and impaction of the left femoral head.
As a result of these massive injuries, this victim was taken into emergency surgery for an open reduction and fixation, which was very complicated as it involved the insertion of two separate plates which needed to be reduced with screws. What further complicated his condition was the fact that he had a dislocation of the hip and a fracture to the pelvis as well. The end result of the dislocation was a poor blood flow to the top part of the femur. It is this condition which resulted in avascular necrosis and ultimately resulted in the need for a second surgery, a hip replacement.
Additionally, while in the hospital, this victim suffered a swollen calf, which required an ultrasound examination. This exam revealed the horrific finding that he had developed deep vein thrombosis. He was forced to be placed on anticoagulant therapy and had a radiologist implant an IVC filter to prevent any thombotic episodes such as a stroke or a heart attack. He then had to be placed on Coumadin to address the deep vein thrombosis, which he remains on to this day.
This victim spent nearly two weeks in the hospital recovering from the injuries from this accident. When he was finally discharged, he was completely non-weight bearing and bedridden.
In addition to his very severe hip injuries, this victim also sustained a left knee contusion and laceration. An MRI of his left knee indicated acute internal derangement. Fortunately, his physician did not initially recommend surgery, but has confirmed that if his left knee pain persists, a diagnostic left knee arthroscopy may be indicated. Furthermore, the victim confirms that he still suffers from decreased range of motion and weakness in his left ankle and there has been no definitive diagnosis for his left ankle symptoms which are likely related to his entire left side, hip and knee injuries.
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