Opinion ID: 782336
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The claimants' general, past and future medical damages

Text: 58 Thibodeaux was injured when he was thrown forward in the MISS BERNICE and knocked unconscious, due to the collision. Thibodeaux was diagnosed with a head contusion and fractured ribs, and complained of neck pain, vision problems, and ringing in his ears, but apparently did not sustain any significant or permanent head injury. He was also diagnosed with a preexisting degenerative disc disease at C5-6 and a longstanding osteophyte formation. About six months after the collision, an anterior cervical fusion was performed, after which Thibodeaux recovered and returned to work on May 11, 2000, just over 13 months after the collision. Thibodeaux was awarded $50,000 in general damages and $48,553.74 in past medicals, and no money was awarded for future medicals. The district court based its award of general damages on testimony from Thibodeaux and his treating physicians, the presence of preexisting conditions (which Thibodeaux attempted to conceal), and general damages awards made in prior cases. The court based its award of past medicals on the stipulated amount of past medicals attributable to the collision and paid by Thibodeaux's employer, Texaco. 59 Fontenot was injured when he fell while attempting to stand after the first collision and was further injured when he hit his head in the second impact. After the collision, Fontenot spent two weeks in the hospital, suffering from fractured ribs, a partially collapsed lung, a right kidney laceration, and neck pain. The district court found that Fontenot sustained the internal injuries in the first impact and the neck injuries in the second. In February 2000, Fontenot had a discectomy and anterior cervical fusion to correct his neck problems. In February 2001, Fontenot had a kidney removed to help relieve hypertension. The district court found that both Fontenot's neck problems and his hypertension were preexisting conditions that were aggravated by the collisions. The district court awarded $100,000 in general damages for the first impact and $75,000 in general damages for the second impact. Fontenot was also awarded $106,045.11 for past medical expenses for internal injuries from the first impact and $26,184.20 for past medicals for cervical injuries from the second impact. Fontenot received nothing for future medical expenses, but was awarded $45,000 for future lost wages due to his cervical injury. The district court based its general damages award on testimony from Fontenot's treating physicians, the presence of preexisting conditions, Fontenot's failure to mitigate his own injuries, and general damages awards made in prior cases. The district court based its award of past medicals attributable to the collision on the stipulated amount of past medicals paid by Fontenot's employer, Texaco, as well as on the cost of the kidney removal surgery. 60 LeBlanc sustained injuries to his left knee and shoulder when he was thrown forward into a table during the first impact, then sustained injuries to his back when he was thrown backward during the second impact. LeBlanc spent two nights in the hospital and received arthroscopic surgery to his left knee and shoulder for the injuries sustained in the first impact. In April 2000, LeBlanc underwent lumbar surgery to correct a preexisting spondylolisthesis at L4-5 which the district court found was aggravated by the second impact. In December 2000, LeBlanc underwent a cervical fusion to relive neck pain, but the district court found that this condition was preexisting and unrelated to the collision. The district court awarded LeBlanc $35,000 in general damages for injuries related to the first impact and $125,000 for injuries related to the second impact. LeBlanc was also awarded $35,721.24 for the past medical expenses related to the arthroscopic surgeries and $19,254.11 in past medicals for the lumbar surgery. The district court based its general damages award on testimony from LeBlanc's treating physicians, the presence of preexisting conditions, and general damages awards made in prior cases. The district court based its award of past medicals on the stipulated amount of past medicals attributable to the collision and paid by LeBlanc's employer, Texaco. 61 Though all three claimants allege that the district court's awards were inadequate in light of the nature of their injuries and awards from similar cases, the district court's awards appear to be soundly within the range of reasonableness, and the claimants have failed to show that the awards were clearly erroneous. The district court found that all three claimants had a pre-existing condition and that Thibodeaux had made attempts to conceal his pre-existing condition. The district court also heard detailed testimony about all three of the claimants' injuries and their prognosis before coming to its final damage award. The district court also supported all of its general damages awards with citations to cases in which similar injuries yielded similar damage awards. Though all the claimants make arguments that the amounts awarded should be higher, nothing in their briefs indicates that the district court was clearly erroneous.