Bone/Joint Injuries

• Multi-million dollar award - A 50-year-old woman from Beaver County was driving on when she suddenly hit a patch of ice causing her car to veer out of control and crash. She suffered severe trauma and orthopedic injuries including, hip fracture, leg fracture, broken back and significant scarring. We were able to prove that pedestrian on the road led to the collection of water and ice formation, and that, furthermore, highway maintenance crews failed to remove the ice. A very large multi-million dollar award was obtained for this woman which will enable her to pay for future medical care, replace her annual wages and also pay for household help for the rest of her life.

• Excess of one million dollars - A young college student from Uniontown, Fayette County was returning to Penn State on Route 22 when a broad-sided by a truck crossed the center line and hit her vehicle. She suffered serious lower leg injuries and had an extended hospitalization with months of rehabilitation. We obtained a recovery in excess of one million dollars for her.

• Excess of one million dollars - A young woman from Steubenville, Ohio, was broad-sided by a truck when driving on an errand with her two small children. She suffered extensive injuries to her chest, abdomen and legs including fractured ribs, broken vertebrae, fractured tibia, fractured femur, and serious scarring to her lower leg. She was in the hospital for more than three weeks recovering from her injuries. We retained a recovery in excess of one million dollars for her.

• Million dollar recovery - A nurse from Westmoreland County suffered a severe lumbar ruptured disk when a chair that she was sitting in collapsed through a portion of a newly installed floor. Gismondi & Associates filed a personal injury claim against the contractor who installed the floor, and we were able to establish that the floor was not properly constructed in the area where the accident occurred. This woman was no longer able to return to her career as a nurse. We obtained a million dollar recovery on her behalf.

• Excess of one million dollars - An ironworker from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania suffered serious crush injuries and orthopedic fractures as a result of being hit by a large steel plate which was knocked over by another workman operating a forklift at a job site. We filed a claim against the employer of the forklift operator and obtained a recovery in excess of one million dollars on behalf of this gentleman.

• Large six-figure recovery - A young man suffered a fracture of his left forearm and was taken to a hospital in Pittsburgh were a cast was placed on the arm. However, when the cast was placed, part of the bone was still dislocated near the elbow. Neither the orthopedic injuries or the radiologist noticed it. As a result, the bone did not heal properly, and this young man was left with abnormal motion at the elbow. A large six-figure recovery was obtained on his behalf.

• Large six figure award - A young married man from Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County suffered a orthopedic injuries (both tibia and fibula) which was not treated properly and, as a result, he eventually had to undergo a fusion of his ankle. Ankle fusion eliminates pain, but it also causes the patient to lose all motion and function at the ankle joint. The claim was filed against the orthopedic surgeon on the ground that he did not perform the appropriate surgery to treat the fractures and a large six figure award was obtained for the client.

• High six figure recovery - A toddler from Erie was born with bilateral dislocations of her hips, but her pediatrician did not discover this until it was too late for the problem to be corrected. As a result, she had to undergo major surgeries that could have been avoided if the hip dislocations had been discovered sooner. A recovery in the high six figures was obtained on her behalf.

• Large six-figure recovery - A 60-year-old woman fell in a parking lot and suffered a serious injury to the radius and ulna, the bones of the forearm. She had two surgeries and was in an external fixation device for several weeks. She never regained full and complete use of her arm. We obtained a large six-figure recovery from the snow removal company who had the responsibility of clearing the parking lot.

• Six-figure settlement - A retired man from Waynesburg, Greene County was struck by a car while crossing the road and suffered a serious hip fracture which required surgery. The driver who hit this pedestrian claimed that the pedestrian was at fault. We successfully proved otherwise and obtained a six-figure settlement for the injured man.

• Significant six-figure award - A retired woman from Pittsburgh suffered serious orthopedic injuries (leg and pelvic fractures) when a young man ran a red light and crashed into her car on Forbes Avenue. She spent several weeks in Presbyterian Hospital and Magee Women's Hospital. A significant six-figure award was obtained on her behalf.

• Significant six-figure award - A young man from Sewickley, Allegheny County was seriously injured when a dump truck struck his car causing multiple orthopedic injuries. This young man missed several weeks of work and was in the hospital for an extended period of time. We obtained a significant six-figure award on his behalf.

• Six figure award - A young woman from Pittsburgh was hit by a drunk driver on Baum Boulevard causing her leg to be pinned under the steering wheel and fracturing her femur. She had to undergo surgery for the permanent placement of a rod in her leg. An award well into six figures was obtained on her behalf.

• Significant six figure recovery  - An elderly woman from Westmoreland County suffered a serious arm fracture during physical therapy. We filed a claim against the physical therapy company claiming that the exercises they performed violated the prescription given by the orthopedic doctor, and that is what led to the arm fracture. A significant six figure recovery was obtained on her behalf.

• Very significant six-figure award - A young college graduate from the North Hills suffered significant orthopedic injuries when his leg was run over by a car as he walked along the side of the road. We obtained a very significant six-figure award on his behalf.

• A young boy from Uniontown suffered serious orthopedic injuries when he was hit after getting off a school bus. We filed a personal injury claim against the private company that provided the transportation service to the school district and were able to establish that the driver did not follow proper procedures in discharging passengers. We obtained a significant six-figure recovery on the boy's behalf.

• A single male from Pittsburgh suffered a serious knee injury when he fell through a hatch which was left open in the floor of a pleasure fishing boat. The attorneys of Gismondi & Associates filed a personal injury claim against the operators of the boat on the ground that they should have been more careful in protecting unsophisticated customers who were coming on board their boat for pleasure fishing. The man's knee required three surgeries. Our attorneys made a recovery well in excess of six-figures on this gentleman's behalf.

• A young toddler from Somerset, Pennsylvania fell from a horse and suffered a leg fracture. When she was taken to the hospital, the doctors failed to notice that she was developing severe swelling inside the leg near the fracture, a condition know as compartment syndrome. If the pressure from the swelling inside the leg is not relieved, the patient can suffer permanent muscle and nerve damage in the lower leg. Unfortunately, because the doctors did not pay attention to the swelling, that is exactly what happened to this young girl. We filed a medical malpractice action against the orthopedic surgeon and the hospital and were able to obtain a recovery well into six figures on behalf of this young child.

• Significant six-figure recovery - A middle-aged woman from Beaver fell while working at the Beaver Valley Geriatric Center and suffered serious orthopedic injuries. The fall was caused by an oily substance on the floor that had not been removed by the cleaning service which took care of the geriatric facility. We filed a personal injury claim against the cleaning company on the ground that their workers failed to do what their job required. We obtained a significant six-figure recovery on her behalf.

• Six-figure settlement  - A young father from Westmoreland County suffered serious lower leg injuries in an accident at Kennywood Park when a pavilion collapsed. We were able to prove that the park did not take adequate precautions in building the structure, and we obtained a six-figure settlement for this man.

• Significant six figure settlement - A sheet metal worker from Beaver County suffered significantly reduced function in his right hand because of a one month delay in diagnosing a fractured wrist. He had been seen at the emergency room one month earlier where x-rays were taken of the wrist and he was mistakenly told that there was no fracture. We filed a medical malpractice claim against the medical center on the grounds that they "missed" the fracture in the emergency room, and we obtained a significant six figure settlement on his behalf.

• A retired woman from Allegheny County suffered a severe fracture of the right arm and elbow as a result of falling on ice and snow which had been allowed to accumulate in a parking lot outside of a restaurant. We filed a negligence claim against the owner of the property and were able to prove that the ice and snow had been accumulated for days without being removed. We obtained a significant six figure award on her behalf.

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