$10,900,000 – Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Spinal Cord Injury/Loss of Consortium

Injuries alleged: Spinal cord injury with permanent partial disability; loss of spousal consortium

Case name: Withheld

Court/case no.: Withheld

Jury and/or judge: N/A; settled after demand

Amount: $10.9 million

Date: April 2026

Attorneys: David W. White of Breakstone, White & Gluck, Boston; J. Tucker Merrigan, Merrigan Sweeney, Boston (for the plaintiffs)

Other Useful Information

The case arose from a multiple-vehicle collision on a highway near Boston. Plaintiff was driving home from an evening appointment and was entering a highway construction zone, which was funneling traffic into a single lane. The defendant driver failed to observe the slow-moving traffic and collided with plaintiff at approximately 55 mph, causing a four-car pile-up. 

Plaintiff instantly recognized he suffered a serious spine injury. He was taken by ambulance to the Boston Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with a thoracic spine fracture with spinal cord injury, which has proven to cause significant long-term issues with the function of his lower extremities. On the day after the collision, plaintiff underwent a multi-level spinal fusion. He was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for five weeks of intensive rehabilitation. 

In the two years since the collision, plaintiff has continued intensive physical therapy and outpatient exercise. He is left with a significant loss of function. 

Plaintiff’s wife had a significant claim for loss of consortium. In addition to the loss to the quality of their marriage, the wife has had to assume caretaking responsibilities and household duties. 

The plaintiffs were exceptional in many ways. The husband never lost his motivation to recover as best he could and missed only two months of work. The wife never wavered in her support for her husband. Both were remarkable witnesses at their depositions. 

Plaintiffs’ experts included the treating physiatrist from the rehabilitation hospital, a spinal cord injury specialist, and an accident reconstruction expert. The demand incorporated animation of the spine surgery, graphics of the injuries, and a comprehensive analysis of potential jury verdicts.

Fortunately, the vehicle had combined insurance limits of $11 million. The policy limits, minus previous small pay-outs for other claims, were offered five weeks after the policy-limits demand was presented to defendant’s counsel.