A minor car accident which occurred in October of 2008 resulted in a major traumatic brain injury for a 4 year old girl. The accident occurred when the family including the then 2 year old little girl was traveling in the family van. A commercial truck that was hauling pipes for a well drilling company ran a red light and nearly hit the van. However when the driver of the truck applied the brakes and executed a sudden stop, several pipes slid off the rack on top of the truck. One of these went through the rear window of the van and struck the child in the head.
The girl experienced a major traumatic brain injury which has left her with the functional ability of a two year old, blinded her and caused traumatic epilepsy. In just two years the medical expenses for the child already total $850,000 and will likely to continue to increase as she ages and needs constant care.
The personal injury claim filed by her parents includes several responsible parties including the truck driver, the distributor of the defective pipe rack and the well drilling company. The settlement offered in this case is a record setting total of $20 million making it the largest unsealed settlement in the U.S. While this large amount of money will not restore the child to her previous state of health and ability, it will take care of her financially. The tragedy of such a young life being changed so drastically is one that everyone involved in the case was saddened by.