A California judge has awarded a woman $45 million for personal injuries she sustained in a car accident. Tricia Roth, a former software engineer who used to love horseback riding, swimming, and ballroom dancing, is now a quadriplegic because the vehicle she was riding in was hit by a pickup truck that ran a red light on September 11, 2006.
The impact of the truck striking the front passenger side of her Volvo at a speed of about 40 mph tossed her around the vehicle and caused her to break her neck. Because of her serious spinal cord injury, Roth, will likely require medical care for the rest of her life.
The defendants in Roth's California car accident lawsuit are pickup driver Roman Pantoja and his family business, Division 1 All Service. Also targets of the California spinal cord injury lawsuit are two insurance companies. Colony Insurance and Lincoln General Insurance, however, have refused to get involved in the civil lawsuit because they contend that Pantoja was not actually working when his pickup truck struck Roth.
The $45 million award is compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Severe driver negligence, the severity of Roth's injuries, and the loss of her substantial income as a software engineer were also factors in the judge's determination of the amount. The personal injury sum also takes into account the fact that Roth's husband has had to become her caregiver in a nearly full-time capacity.
Spinal Cord Injuries
An SCI can occur when there is trauma or damage to the spinal cord that causes a loss of feeling or mobility. Quadriplegia is one kind of SCI. Also called tetraplegia, this usually involves the paralysis of both arms and legs. This can cause complications, including breathing problems, skin issues, sensory function loss, motor function loss, bladder issues, and bowel control problems.
With quadriplegia, the injury victim will need full-time care and will likely have to undergo costly medical procedures and may need expensive medical equipment to help maintain a certain quality of life.
While no amount of money can give you back your quality of life or restore your body if you sustained a serious SCI in a motor vehicle crash, a personal injury settlement or verdict can give you the financial resources to get you the medical care that you need. It is also a way to hold the negligent parties that caused your catastrophic injury financially liable.
San Mateo woman awarded $45 million over crippling car accident, MercuryNews.com, March 19, 2009
Quadriplegia, BrainandSpinalCord.org
Related Web Resources:
Spinal Injury Overview, Justia
