Passenger in one-car crash recovers for finger injury

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The passenger of a drunk driver who drove off the road and hit a tree recovered the $100,000 policy limits from her uninsured motorist policy, according to her attorney.

Laurie L. Del Percio of The Horn Law Firm in Independence said the May 30, 2021, crash left the 27-year-old plaintiff with a severe laceration to her right middle finger that exposed the bone. She was transported to the nearest trauma hospital, where a surgeon noted that her finger was contaminated with debris even after irrigation.

She was transferred for immediate orthopedic hand surgery, resulting in debridement down to and including the tendon, repair of the extensor tendon of the right index finger and adjacent tissue rearrangement of the finger. She has permanent scarring as a result of the collision. The injury was to her dominant hand.

Del Percio said before-and-after pictures were critical in reaching the settlement, as the defense argued that the plaintiff was comparatively at fault for entering the car with a drunken driver.

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$100,000 settlement

Motor Vehicle Collision

Venue: Jackson County

Case Number/Date: Not filed/Oct. 18, 2023

Caption: Confidential

Plaintiff’s Attorney: Laurie L. Del Percio, The Horn Law Firm, Independence

Defendants’ Attorneys: None