Can You Still Recover With a Pre-Existing Back Injury? A $1.6 Million St. Louis County Settlement
St. Louis, United States - November 12, 2026 / Brown & Crouppen /
Brown & Crouppen Secures $1.6 Million Settlement for Client with Pre-Existing Back Injury
The St. Louis County case turned on medical evidence linking a Des Peres collision to a three-level spine surgery, after the defense argued the client's earlier back problems were to blame.
ST. LOUIS, Mo., November 2, 2026 — Brown & Crouppen has secured a $1.6 million settlement in St. Louis County for a client injured in a motor vehicle collision in Des Peres, Missouri. Attorney Rich Zalasky led the case, which settled on August 31, 2026.
The crash happened on Manchester Road east of Interstate 270. The defendant turned left out of the center turn lane and into the client's path, leaving her no time to react. The collision caused severe lower-back injuries that ultimately required a three-level spine surgery, including two disc replacements and a spinal fusion.
The client had a history of lower-back problems before the crash, and the defense built its case on that history, arguing the collision was not responsible for the surgery she needed.
When a Prior Injury Is Part of the Case
Zalasky and his team argued medical causation. The question was not whether the client had back trouble before the collision. It was whether the collision turned a manageable condition into a disabling one. The medical evidence showed it did. As the case approached trial the parties went to mediation, and it settled the following week.
Insurance companies frequently point to a plaintiff's prior medical history to argue a claim is worth less than it is. A documented connection between the collision and the injury that followed is what answers that argument.
"Insurance companies look for a reason to pay less, and a prior injury is one of the easiest ones to reach for," said Andy Crouppen, Managing Partner of Brown & Crouppen. "Someone who has had back trouble before still deserves to be made whole when a crash makes it worse. Rich and his team proved that connection with medical evidence, and they were ready to take it to trial. That is what moved this one."
The settlement is part of the more than $2 billion Brown & Crouppen has recovered for clients since the firm was founded in 1979.
Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its own merits.
About Brown & Crouppen
Brown & Crouppen is a personal injury law firm founded in St. Louis in 1979 by Ron Brown and Terry Crouppen. Following Ron Brown's passing in 2022, the firm continues to carry forward the commitment to advocacy and client service established by its founders. Today, Brown & Crouppen's 40 attorneys and 220 legal professionals serve injured individuals and families across Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois from nine offices, handling cases involving motor vehicle collisions, workplace injuries, slip and fall claims, premises liability, nursing home neglect, and wrongful death. Beyond its legal work, Brown & Crouppen actively supports organizations focused on housing, food security, youth services, and access to justice throughout the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.brownandcrouppen.com.
Contact Information:
Brown & Crouppen
4900 Daggett Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
United States
Carrie Nielsen
13146681727
https://www.brownandcrouppen.com