$211,000 Settlement
Personal Injury / Auto Accident
Passenger Recovers Despite 27-Day Delay in Starting Treatment, Claims Neck
Surgery Caused by Collision
Venue: Buchanan County Circuit Court
Case Number/Date: 11BU-CV03002/September 4, 2012
Judge: Patrick Robb
Plaintiff's Expert: William O. Hopkins, Prairie Village, KS (orthopedic)
Special Damages: Original medical charges $50,972; lost wages $1038
Insurers: OOIDA Risk Retention Group for C&J Meyer Trucking and Clayton Meyer;
AAA Insurance for Sierra Angst
Caption: Regina Rollett-Osborn v. C&J Meyer Trucking, LLC; Clayton Meyer and
Sierra Angst
Plaintiff's Attorney: James Montee for Montee Law Firm, P.C., St. Joseph
Defendants' Attorneys: Scott Hofer and William Logan of Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper &
Hofer, Kansas City for C&J Meyer Trucking and Clayton Meyer; Pamela
Brown, Kansas City, for Sierra Angst
St. Joseph, Missouri auto accident attorney James Montee, has reached a
settlement on behalf of his client for injuries received in a Wabaunsee
County, Kansas automobile accident.
On April 27, 2011 approaching midnight, Sierra Angst was driving her 2005
Chevy Cavalier eastbound on I-70 in Wabaunsee County, Kansas with four
passengers returning to St. Joseph, Missouri from a family visit to western
Kansas. Regina Rollett-Osborn was seated in the back seat behind Angst
resting her head to the side attempting to fall asleep. A semi tractor-trailer
behind the Cavalier attempted to pass and clipped the passenger rear side
of the car with its trailer. Both vehicles pulled to a rest stop ahead
on the road and reported the incident to local law enforcement. Damage
to the Cavalier was modest and no injuries were reported at the scene.
Regina Rollett-Osborn returned to her job as a hotel housekeeper soon after
returning to St. Joseph. In the weeks following the accident, Rollett-Osborn
experienced increasing neck pain and headaches along with numbness and
tingling sensations into the left arm and hand. Because of her increasing
symptoms Rollett-Osborn went to Heartland hospital on May 24, 2011 for
an examination. An MRI of the cervical spine demonstrated a large right
paracentral disk herniation at C6-7 and disk bulging at both C4-5 and
C5-6. The radiologist did not describe any preexisting degenerative changes
in the cervical spine and Rollett-Osborn denied any history of neck problems
prior to the motor vehicle accident. On May 31, 2011 Rollett-Osborn underwent
anterior cervical fusion.
Rollett-Osborn filed suit in Buchanan County, Missouri against the driver
of her vehicle and against the semi driver and owner. All parties to the
lawsuit were Missouri residents. The plaintiff agreed to a settlement
of $200,000 from the trucking company and $11,000 from the driver of her vehicle.