Crash on suburban Kansas City street left man with concussion

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Scott Lauck//April 16, 2024//

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A man who later learned he suffered a concussion in a car crash in suburban Kansas City reached a $2.9 million settlement with the defendants, according to his attorney.

Mike Meyer of Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader said the accident occurred in the spring of 2021 as the plaintiff was driving in the inside lane of southbound Mission Road in Prairie Village, Kansas. Traffic had temporarily stalled in the outside lane of Mission at the intersection with 95^th Street.

A then-18-year-old driver exiting a gas station at the northwest corner of the intersection attempted to make a left turn onto Mission. Believing that he had been waived on by one of the stalled vehicles, he attempted to cross the southbound lanes and crashed into the passenger side of the plaintiff’s vehicle.

Both drivers were able to pull their cars into a nearby parking lot and wait for the police to arrive. The plaintiff initially told police that he wasn’t injured and did not lose consciousness.

However, over the following days and weeks the plaintiff began experiencing pain and tingling in his arms down to his hands, along with pain in his neck. He was prescribed muscle relaxers and steroids. He also sought chiropractic treatment and eventually underwent a radiofrequency ablation to address the neck pain.

The plaintiff also experienced irritability and emotional outbursts that interfered with his ability to work. About a year after the crash, the plaintiff was diagnosed with having suffered a concussion without loss of consciousness, or mTBI, which also caused him to have difficulty finding words, fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, light and noise sensitivities, anxiety and depression.

The plaintiff sued the defendant driver for failing to yield and also made a claim against the defendant’s father for negligent entrustment. He sought damages for his lost wages and earning capacity, along with the cost of his treatment.

Meyer said that to litigate the case he consulted with experts from all over the country in fields that included neurology, biomechanical engineering, neuro-optometry, economics, vocational rehabilitation, life care planning, neuropsychology, pain management and sports medicine.

$2.9 million settlement (out of state)

Motor Vehicle Collision