Commercial Truck Crash Causes Chronic Post-Concussive Migraines

In October 2018, our client, a 26-year-old pediatric oncology nurse was driving on Kaliste Saloom, in Lafayette, Louisiana, while in Friday afternoon traffic, she was smashed from behind by a commercial truck. The impact crushed her back gate, shattered her back window, and pushed her into the vehicle in front of her. Immediately after the scene, she was disoriented and had brain fog along with head and neck pain.

As our client continued to suffer from head and neck pain, brain fog, and dizziness with the onset of nausea, she immediately reported to the emergency room. After a full workup, she was referred for a neurological evaluation. Though she did sustain a neck injury, she primarily suffered from post-concussive migraines which rendered her disabled and unreliable as a nurse, wife, and mother. For over six years of treatment, she underwent exhaustive conservative treatment, including:

• Botox Injections
• Nerve Block Injections
• Radio Frequency Ablations
• Copious Medications
• Acupuncture
• Physical Therapy
• Eight Day Inpatient Stay at the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Illinois – www.diamondheadache.com

Unfortunately, her extensive medical treatment did not give her the long-term relief she was hoping for to return to a normal life. It is also important to note that the neurologist hired by the insurance company to oppose our client’s medical treatment and injuries, agreed with medical causation and her treating physician’s treatment recommendations.

At trial, our client’s treating physicians testified that she had tried every treatment available with limited relief. Her chronic symptoms required continued injections, ablations, therapies, and other treatment for the remainder of her life to maintain some quality of life. Our client was rendered permanently disabled from returning to work—a devastating loss for a young woman whose life mission was to be a pediatric oncology nurse and was already tapped by hospital management to become a leader at Our Lady of Lourdes Women’s & Children’s Hospital.

Throughout trial, the insurance company and its counsel vigorously contested liability and the extent of our client’s injuries, disability, and damages. Although the defendants attempted to produce an alleged eyewitness’ account, the jury did not find his testimony compelling in the face of other witnesses and evidence at the scene. The defendants also used medical experts, past medical records, social media surveillance, and rigorously cross-examined the plaintiff’s treating physician to dispute the extent of her damages and vocational abilities.

After a four-day jury trial and due to the determination and hard work of our attorneys, Blake R. David and Reed K. Ellis, she was awarded $9,141,750.00, including $536,750.00 in past medical expenses, $4,000,000.00 in future medical expenses, $505,000.00 in past wage loss, $2,500,000.00 in future lost earnings and loss of earning capacity, $1,600,000.00 in general damages. With judicial interest, the total judgment was over $12 million, before costs.

The attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux have the knowledge and experience necessary to handle life-altering and catastrophic injury claims and will fight to obtain full compensation for your injuries. If you, a friend, or a family member has been injured because of the fault of another, contact the attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux to discuss your legal rights at (337) 233-2323 (Local) or (888) 337-2323 (Toll-Free).