Mr. Quilliam suffered a heart attack and underwent heart surgery. He avoided any treatment of his back while recovering from the heart attack. In the years following his heart attack, Mr. Quilliam suffered from back pain on an episodic basis in the same areas of his body. He avoided getting chiropractic care out of fear that the manipulations would affect his heart condition. In late August or early September 1992, Mr. Quilliam was moving a 50 lb. flower box at home with his wife when he experienced sharp back pain similar to the pain he had experienced previously.
Pain extends into left buttock and down posterior left leg to mid-calf.
At the formal hearing, William Leahy, D.C., testified that the incident in 1977 was the first and most significant injury to Mr. Quilliam's back which has precipitated additional discomfort over the years. Dr. Leahy testified that the recurrence of back pain in the same location indicated that the back had been weakened by the initial injury. Dr. Leahy had not seen Mr. Quilliam in 1977 and did not see him for the first time until sometime in the early 1980's. He described his testimony concerning the nature of the original injury as a guess which was supported by more recent meetings with Mr. Quilliam and some familiarity with his father's practice. His father was not able to testify.