Case details
Plaintiff claimed motorcycle crash caused hip and knee injuries
SUMMARY
$1609904
Amount
Verdict-Plaintiff
Result type
Not present
Ruling
KEYWORDS
femoral, fracture, hip, knee, meniscus, neck, tear
FACTS
On March 30, 2019, plaintiff Stephen LeClair, 57, an artist, was motorcycling on northbound La Cienega Boulevard, in Los Angeles, near West Hollywood. While he was on his way home, he entered the intersection with Melrose Place and struck a vehicle operated by Grace Morton, who was attempting to make a left turn from Melrose Place onto southbound La Cienega Boulevard. LeClair was thrown him off his motorcycle and he landed in the middle of the road. He claimed to a hip and knee. LeClair sued Grace Morton and the owner of Ms. Morton’s vehicle, Peter Morton. LeClair alleged that Ms. Morton was negligent in the operation of her vehicle and that Mr. Morton was vicariously liable for Ms. Morton’s actions. The Mortons admitted liability., Immediately after the accident, LeClair was taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in Los Angeles, where he complained of pain to a knee and hip. He was diagnosed with a comminuted fracture of a femoral neck and underwent an emergency hip replacement the next morning. As LeClair was healing from the hip surgery, he claimed that his knee pain continued to worsen. About two months later, he was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in the right knee. He subsequently underwent arthoscopic knee surgery six months after the crash. During the procedure, the meniscus was cleaned up and repaired. After healing from his surgeries, LeClair then began treating with physical therapy. LeClair claimed that he still works as an artist and painter and that he can still ride his motorcycle. However, he claimed that he can no longer walk long distances, hike, snowboard, or surf as he did prior to the accident. He alleged that as a result, he is still undergoing physical therapy. The plaintiff’s expert orthopedic surgeon opined that LeClair would eventually require future hip and knee surgeries within the next 10 to 20 years. LeClair sought recovery of past and future medical expenses, and damages for his past and future pain and suffering. Defense counsel denied that LeClair would need a future hip revision, but agreed that LeClair would need a future partial knee replacement. Counsel also contended that LeClair was able to continue with most of his pre-collision activities.
COURT
Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Chatsworth, CA
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INJURIES:
- anxiety
- brain
- brain damage
- brain injury
- cognition
- depression
- epidural
- extradural hematoma
- face
- facial bone
- fracture
- head
- headaches
- hearing
- impairment
- insomnia
- loss of
- mental
- nose
- psychological
- scapula
- sensory
- shoulder
- skull
- speech
- subdural hematoma
- tinnitus
- traumatic brain injury
- vision
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