The plaintiff, on April 29, 2011, was a busy, active, and healthy
18-year-old sitting as the front seat passenger in a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle,
when the defendant, in a 2003 Ford Explorer, ran into the front left-hand side
of her vehicle. Liability has been admitted. The plaintiff claims she received
two injuries from the accident: she fractured five of her left lower ribs,
more particularly the 8th to the 12th rib of the left chest wall, for which the
defendant has accepted responsibility. The second alleged injury of consequence
was to her lower back at L4/5 and L5/S1. The defendant submits that this latter
injury was not caused by the accident.BACKGROUND...