Lakewood Man Settles Injury Claim for $500,000

A Lakewood man was a passenger in a vehicle proceeding northbound on New Hampshire Avenue in Lakewood, New Jersey, when a southbound SUV unexpectedly made a left turn, crossing over northbound New Hampshire Avenue, causing a collision.

The accident occurred on October 28, 2013. The victim was a passenger in a Ford Taurus operated by woman from Toms River. The driver of the SUV, a Toyota Sienna, was also a Lakewood resident.  The driver of the Toyota claimed her vision had been obstructed by another vehicle, a school bus.

At the time of the accident, the victim was already disabled. He had a history of neck and back injuries, as well as anxiety and depression. Following the accident, he was diagnosed as having sustained a herniated disc at L4-5 and a herniated disc at C5-6; together with significant aggravations of his prior back and neck injuries, according to his attorney, James Maggs, of Maggs & McDermott. The man underwent a number of epidural injections, as well as an EMG, which demonstrated evidence of acute left L4 and L5 radiculopathy, says Maggs. Eventually, the man was required to undergo a lumbar fusion at L4-5.  The orthopedic expert hired by the firm, Dr. Robert Dennis, concluded it was likely the victim would require an extension of the fusion to L5-S1.  His medical bills totaled $293,771.86, according to Maggs.

Thanks to the hard work of his attorney, the gentleman was awarded $500,000 for his injuries.

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