Opinion ID: 2061056
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Mrs Packard's damages.

Text: At the time of the accident Mrs. Packard was a woman of 62, married but separated from her husband and employed by her brother in a clerical capacity. When her doctor saw her in the accident room immediately following the collision she had a large cut on her leg that required suturing. She had numerous extensive bruises on her head, face, wrist, leg and shoulder together with some scratches and she complained of pain in her neck, breasts, hips and abdomen. The doctor described the bruises and scratches as superficial but resulting in discomfort. X Rays were negative. She did not remain in the hospital. Her cut and the scratches were healing and the bruises and tenderness were disappearing when he saw her a week and two weeks later but her general condition was deteriorating and on the latter visit he admitted her to the hospital. Her condition continued to worsen up to time of trial. She has never returned to work and in the opinion of her doctor she is suffering from a traumatic neurosis from which she will never recover and which has caused her to be permanently incapacitated to a serious degree. He defined traumatic neurosis as a group of symptoms brought on by an injury. There was very little dispute as to Mrs. Packard's health before and after the accident. Before, her health was delicate at least. She had been hospitalized about twenty times. She had undergone surgery for a cervical polyp, an appendectomy, a hysterectomy and for an intestinal obstruction (twice). Other serious illnesses included pneumonia (twice), hemoptysis, and a nervous breakdown and she was found to be full of adhesions. She had two hernias, suffered from frequent periods of abdominal pain, nervousness, unsteadiness, frequent diarrhea, abdominal gas and cramps and occasionally had general aches and pains. She weighed only about 100 pounds. X Rays and laboratory tests had indicated that her symptoms were then functional and organic and due to nervous tension. The jury could have found, however, that in spite of her frail health she was before the accident steadily employed, did her own housework and enjoyed a normal social life which included participating in bridge, dancing and swimming. After the collision, her condition deteriorated steadily with brief periods of small improvement during four hospitalizations. She could not eat, suffered from actual malnutrition and weighed as low as 77 pounds. A vicious cycle developed in which as she got less nourishment she had less resistance to pain. As her discomfort increased, her ability to tolerate food further decreased. She has nausea, abdominal pains, gas and various aches and is extremely emaciated. The jury could have properly concluded that her present physical and nervous afflictions are of the same general nature as those which affected her before the collision but that now they are much worse. Before, she carried on a normal existence of social life and regular employment. After the accident she has been unable to work at her job, requires help in the housekeeping duties of her small apartment, lacks even sufficient strength to watch television and leaves home only when it is necessary for her to see her doctor. The determination as to whether Plaintiff's post-collision injuries were of traumatic origin and stemmed from the accident of August 3, 1967 was for the jury. In substance her doctors testified that in their opinions the worsening of her health has resulted from the collision and that there is no hope for improvement. There was considerable other evidence which demonstrated a very serious worsening of her health immediately following the accident. The evidence supports the jury's conclusion that she has suffered grave injuries as a result of that collision. It is frequently said that a Defendant takes a Plaintiff as he finds her and is responsible for her damages resulting from his negligent conduct even though because of the Plaintiff's pre-existing frailty of health they proved to be more severe than they would have been in a normal person. 22 Am.Jur.2d, Damages, § 122; Prosser, Law of Torts, 3rd ed. 1964, page 300.