On April 8, 2016, our client was parked behind Dunbar Middle School located in Lynchburg, Virginia. On the same day and time, the defendant was driving a charter bus that had just dropped off children at the school. As the bus attempted to pass our client, the bus collided with the front, driver’s side of our client’s vehicle. The impact caused two of our client’s tires to be slashed along with damage to the entire driver’s side of the vehicle in which our client was sitting. Further, the impact caused our client to be jolted into the middle console of the vehicle.
Our client began feeling symptoms immediately after the impact. Once the impact occurred, our client felt a burning pain in her left arm. Within an hour she began noticing the pain in the back of her neck which progressed throughout the night of April 8, 2016. Since the date of the collision, our client experienced pain that had not subsided. She has sought care from orthopedic specialists in addition to the chiropractic care she has received.
Our client incurred medical expenses of about $42,000.00. Our client’s doctor classified our client’s injury as chronic whiplash syndrome. This type of whiplash syndrome requires consistent treatment. The doctor estimated that our client would need at least 2 medial branch blocks a year for the next five years. She indicated that there is a possibility that these branch blocks may be needed for as long as ten years into the future. We estimated future medical treatment during those periods for mediation.
Our client also sustained a concussion in this wreck. She treated with concussion specialist at OrthoVirginia who referred her to vestibular therapy. After approximately 21 rounds of vestibular therapy, our client’s symptoms had greatly improved and she no longer needed formal physical therapy for her concussion.
Our firm, in conjunction with another local attorney, was able to help our client resolve her case in mediation for $180,000.