$650K Result: Animated C4-7 Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion

A 58-year-old man broke his neck after his car was struck by another vehicle and his head slammed into the side window. After months of wearing a cervical collar and undergoing physical therapy, his doctor recommended that he needed to undergo a C4-7 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, animated below. However, the insurance company refused to cover the surgery, alleging that the Plaintiff’s condition was not caused by the collision. Instead, the company argued that his condition was the result of arthritis that existed in the patient’s cervical spine before the collision. The highest amount the insurance company was willing to pay was $200K for the Plaintiff’s incomplete recovery. Heading into arbitration, Michael Sorich, Esq., and Patrick Richel, Esq., needed to prove that their client’s condition was the direct result of the collision, which fractured his C6 vertebrae and severely worsened his preexisting arthritis to the point that a discectomy and fusion were vital to his recovery.