Summary – The plaintiff, a forty-eight-year-old male, suffered injuries in a slip and fall incident while delivering pizza for his employer. Walking away from the last delivery, he slipped on black ice, falling onto his back in an area that had not been salted despite freezing temperatures at the time of the incident.
Following the accident, the plaintiff was transported to the Emergency Department via ambulance due to severe back and leg pain. Medical examination revealed several diagnosed conditions, including lumbar spine strain/sprain, myositis, somatic dysfunction, enthesopathy, as well as disc bulges at L3-L4 and L4-L5, disc protrusion at L5-S1, left L5-S1 radiculopathy, post-laminectomy syndrome, lumbar facet syndrome with exacerbation of pre-existing osteoarthritic conditions, a posttraumatic labral tear in the right hip, aggravation of underlying osteoarthritis in the right hip, chronic pain syndrome, and a decrease in activities of daily living. Treatment subsequently involved medication, physical therapy, epidural steroid injections, facet injections, and lumbar surgery.
The plaintiff’s physician expressed a pessimistic prognosis, stating that the plaintiff would suffer a severe and permanent impairment in lumbar spine function due to the injuries sustained in the accident. The doctor further opined that the plaintiff’s injuries would lead to a permanent change in lifestyle, comfort levels, and ability to engage in activities involving full use of the affected lumbar spine areas. Future care recommendations included medical surveillance, diagnostic studies, surgery, and medication.
