Accident on Garden State Parkway
Client was stopped on the Garden State Parkway south waiting to exit at southbound exit 157. While stopped, she was struck in the rear by a vehicle.
Injuries included:
- constant severe left neck,
- upper back pain and left shoulder pain;
- cervical radiculopathy, cervical myofascitis;
- lumbar sprain/strain; lumbar myofascitis;
- thoracic cervical radiculopathy;
- thoracic myofascitis;
- sacrococcygeal subluxation;
- pelvic subluxation;
- temporomanibular joint dysfunction;
- post traumatic cephalgia;
- left shoulder impingement tendinopathy;
- baseline bipolar disorder with deterioration and confusion from motor vehicle accident;
- capsulitis/synovitis of the left TM joint;
- retrodiscitis of the right TM joint;
- myofascial pain dysfunction (MPD); and
- myalgia, myosplinting of the associated stomatognathic muscles.
A CT scan performed immediately after the accident showed severe disc pathology in the cervical spine with narrowing of the cervical spine canal and neural foramina at multiple levels. The client also suffered a C2-C3 disc bulge; C3-C4 moderate narrowing of the cervical canal and right neural foramen with left foraminal narrowing; C4-C5 severe narrowing of the cervical central canal with deformity of the ventral cervical cord, particularly on the right side; moderate right and minimal left foraminal narrowing at this level; C5-C6 severe narrowing of the cervical central canal and deformity of the cervical cord with right more than left foraminal narrowing; and C6-C7 narrowing of the cervical central canal and biforaminal narrowing.
Also, an MRI of the cervical spine was performed on February 26, 2008 at Upright MRI which confirmed a reversal of the usual curvature suggesting muscle spasm; bulging of the C2-3 and C3-4 discs in the neutral position with herniation at C4-5, C5-6 and C6-7; all herniations worsen with extension and the C2-3 bulge becomes a herniation only apparent with extension; and cord is distorted and pushed backward.
In addition, an MRI of the shoulder suggested a rotator cuff impingement.
A little over one year after the accident the client underwent an arthroscopic left subacromial decompression and debridement of grade 1 labral tear.
Less than 2 years after the accident, the client underwent a cervical discectomy and fusion at C5-C6; foraminotomies; partial corpectomies; arthrodesis with allograft; anterior cervical plate with 4 vertebral body screws and a plate. She also received a cervical epidural steroid injection to relieve post operative pain fluoroscopic guidance.
The case was settled prior to trial. The client was very satisfied with the settlement negotiated by Philip Ciprietti, a NJ car and truck accident lawyer.