Our client, a massage therapist, was injured when a vehicle made a left turn in front of them and struck their car head-on. During the collision, our client gripped the steering wheel tightly, and suffered a fracture of the 5th metacarpal bone in their right hand – also known as a “boxer’s fracture.” 

After the fracture healed, our client developed carpal tunnel syndrome in their right wrist and was unable to return to work. We had our client evaluated by an orthopedic hand and wrist specialist, who performed carpal tunnel release surgery. Although the surgery was successful, our client developed carpal tunnel syndrome in their left arm due to overuse and required a second carpal tunnel surgery on their left arm.

Our client’s injuries directly impacted their livelihood as a massage therapist. Our vocational rehabilitation expert determined our client would likely suffer a permanent two-thirds reduction in income due to their decreased ability to perform massages. 

Through our investigation, we determined the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident was employed by a large medical device manufacturer. We argued the driver and his employer were negligent, and the collision was the legal cause of the carpal tunnel syndrome in both of our client’s arms. 

Through pre-litigation negotiation, Minami Tamaki LLP Senior Associate Seema Bhatt and Associate Ember Oparowski settled our client’s claim against the medical device manufacturer for a total of $850,000.