May 18, 2005
The plaintiff was traveling south, downhill, on Mount Hope Avenue in Dover Township, New Jersey, when the defendant made a sudden left turn in front of her car without signaling. The defendant was issued a ticket for violation of NJSA 39:4-144, Failure to Yield. In the related Municipal Court matter, the defendant pled guilty to this offense.
Upon impact, both airbags in the plaintiff's car deployed. During that process, the plaintiff sustained many small thin cuts over her face as well as a long gash to her right forearm. Over the next few days, the gash in the plaintiff's forearm started to swell and she experienced a pins and needles sensation in the arm. She visited her internist and was provided a prescription for antibiotics. She was also instructed to apply a hydrocortisone cream.
As the weeks passed, the plaintiff's right arm deteriorated. She began experiencing sharp pain up and down her arm. She also suffered dizzy spells. Approximately three weeks after the accident, the area of the laceration began to turn purple.
Continuing symptoms eventually lead to an MRI on the right forearm. That study revealed a linear zone of increased signal within the proximal shaft of the radius. A subsequent MRI, focused on the right forearm, revealed a circumscribed fluid collection near the right hand.
The condition of the plaintiff's right arm continued to devolve. She developed lumps on her right wrist. She continued to lose grip strength.
Throughout her post-accident care, the plaintiff was placed on various medications, including Celebrex and Bextra, which did not relieve her symptoms. She underwent cortisone injections and was referred to two different hand specialists, a vascular surgeon and eventually a pain management specialist, who finally diagnosed her with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy caused by the trauma to her right arm. The plaintiff began using Lidoderm patches and a TENS unit. Neither of these things controlled her symptoms. She was then placed on Neurontin for her chronic neuropathic pain. Finally, when all of these things failed to significantly help her pain, the plaintiff underwent a stellate ganglion block, an invasive procedure, in which a fluoroscope is used to guide a needle to a precise point in the neck where nerves are then injected with anesthetic. This procedure was repeated a total of three more times.
Mr. Gern was able to resolve the case on the eve of trial.
