The Plaintiff was one of five passengers in a Plymouth van that was rear-ended by a 1985 Peterbilt tractor that was “bobtailing”, or traveling without a trailer attached. The vehicles were traveling on S.R. 192 when the accident occurred near camp Holly on the St. John’s River in Brevard County.
The collision was quite significant. The Plaintiff was seated on the floor of the van as one of the seats had been removed prior to taking this trip.The Plaintiff suffered transverse spinous process fractures at L1 through L4 that were minimally displaced. In addition, two years before the trial, he began to develop a sporadic problem with a left foot drop phenomenon. However, all diagnostic studies performed to date were essentially normal.
While the defense expert, an orthopedic surgeon, testified that the Plaintiff had not suffered a permanent injury as a result of this accident, Nance Cacciatore’s expert physician disagreed.
The Plaintiff’s expert, a neurosurgeon, testified that the Plaintiff had indeed suffered a permanent injury as a result of this accident. It was his opinion that the Plaintiff would need updated MRI scans of his spine, as well as updated nerve testing of his upper and lower extremities. These would be done in an effort to pinpoint the source of his underlying radiating problems.
Nance Cacciatore received a verdict for the Plaintiff in the amount of $335,315.48.
