San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Mark C. Blane represented a man involved in a car accident that caused bodily injuries and an eventual surgery to his wrist. The man presented to Sharp Grossmont Urgent Care the morning following the accident where he was evaluated, given diagnostics, and was also given prescriptions for Flexeril and Tylenol No. 3. He followed up with a medical doctor and chiropractor. The chiropractor treated his neck, upper, and lower back. Due to persistent pain in the left wrist, he was referred to a hand specialist whom diagnosed a transverse fracture involving the left scaphoid in the waist of the bone and an obvious nonunion with a mild hump back deformity. Surgery was recommended.
The man underwent surgery of the left wrist on September 22, 2008. On November 3, 2009, he underwent a second surgery in which extraction of retained hardware of wrist was performed. The man underwent a bone graft, casted for 6 months, splinted for 8 weeks and after being out of the splint, he started physical therapy. He underwent manipulation of the left wrist under anesthesia on September 8, 2009. According to Dr. Kupfer’s note dated 10/16/09, he will see the man in three months to determine whether or not further surgery will be necessary. However, as it turned out, thankfully there was no further surgery needed.
The following excerpt represents the type of surgery involved:
SURGERY
SURGEON TYPE DATE
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Open reduction with internal 09/22/08
fixation of the left wrist scaphoid
with radial cancellus bone graft
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Extraction of the retained hardware of 11/03/08
Wrist under fluoroscopic guidance
Application of short arm cast
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Manipulation of the wrist under anesthesia 09/08/09The surgery caused immobilization, and this how San Diego Car Accident Lawyer Mark C. Blane documented those findings:
IMMOBILIZATION
PRESCRIBED BY TYPE DATE
Sharp Rees Stealy Finger Splint 02/28/08
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Cast – Left hand 09/22/08
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Short arm thumb spica cast 10/16/08
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Short arm cast 11/03/08
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Short arm thumb spica cast 11/10/08
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Short arm thumb spica cast 12/02/08
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Splint 01/05/09
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. External bone stimulator 05/28/09
Dr. David Kupfer, M.D. Thumb spica splint 06/25/09
To this end, the case resolved successfully through the medical efforts employed, the medical documentation, and the fact that liability (fault) had been established early on in the car accident case.
