$1.75 Million Settlement for a Student-Athlete Injured Leaving School

A 17-year-old should not leave school in an ambulance. This one did, and the injuries he suffered that afternoon changed the next several months of his life.

This case resolved for $1.75 million just two weeks before trial, and it is a reminder of something we tell families often, serious injuries do not always happen at high speed or in dramatic circumstances. Sometimes they happen in a parking lot, in an instant, and things become forever changed.

How the Injury Happened

Our client was a 17-year-old student and athlete leaving school when he attempted to grab the door handle of another vehicle. The driver accelerated away. Our client stumbled and was run over by the truck’s rear tire.

What followed was not a minor injury. The crash fractured his pelvis in multiple places, disrupting the pelvic ring entirely, along with a right knee abrasion and a scalp contusion.

A Serious Surgery and a Long Road Back

To stabilize the pelvic fractures, orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Blaine Walton performed open reduction and internal fixation surgery. This procedure required permanently implanting a metal screw through our client’s sacrum and pelvis. After the procedure, our client spent six days in the hospital and then more than two months in a wheelchair. He then transitioned to a walker, received home health care, and completed more than 40 physical therapy sessions before regaining full function.

He recovered fully from the pelvic injury. But he continues to experience mild back pain, which remains a factor in his long-term care.

This is what a catastrophic injury looks like in a young person. Although the body may heal faster, the surgery was real, the hardware is permanent, and the months he lost as a student, as an athlete, and as a teenager, cannot be given back.

What the Defense Contested

After Blake David, Reed Ellis, and Caroline Hidalgo filed a motion for summary judgment, the defendant admitted liability.

The defense contested the nature and extent of the injuries and disputed the future medical needs our client may face.

Our team assembled a comprehensive expert panel to tell the full story of what this injury meant and what it may cost: Dr. Blaine Walton on orthopedic surgery, Dr. Brett Venable on chiropractic care, Todd Capielano on vocational rehabilitation and life care planning, economist John W. Theriot, and licensed professional counselor Roy Petitfils.

Mild ongoing back pain in a 17-year-old is not a footnote. It is a condition that will follow him for decades. Building the case around the full arc of that reality, not just the acute phase, is exactly the kind of preparation that moves a case toward the outcome a client deserves.

The Result

Less than two weeks before trial, the parties settled for $1.75 million, plus mediation and court costs.

B.B. v. Vault Ins. Co., et al. – 16th Judicial District Court, St. Martin Parish (May 2026)
Counsel: Blake R. David, Reed K. Ellis, and Caroline Hidalgo of Broussard, David & Moroux

Louisiana Personal Injury Attorneys Who Prepare Every Case for Trial

The timing of this settlement is not a coincidence. Cases settle on the courthouse steps when the other side knows you are ready to walk through the door. Our trial attorneys prepare every case as if it is going to a jury because that preparation is what gains accountability and what secures the best possible outcome for our clients.

If your child or someone in your family was seriously injured because of someone else’s negligence, contact us today for a free consultation. Call (337) 233-2323 locally or (888) 337-2323 toll-free

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