The Pennsylvania personal injury attorney of the family of a three-day-old girl who suffered a critical brain injury in an 2003 ambulance crash have reached a $5.3 million settlement for her personal injuries with various involved parties. A Venango County judge must now approve this settlement before the family can be awarded this money, according to a story in The Derrick.

Joanne Knabb was born with a hole between the ventricles of her heart, and was traveling in an ambulance to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment with her mother Tracy when she was three-days-old. On the way to the hospital, the ambulance was hit by a drunk driver, John E. Ridge, who died at the scene of the accident. Joanne, who was secured in an incubator made by International Biomedical Inc. of Austin, Texas, suffered various personal injuries in this drunken driving accident.

According to the family’s personal injury attorney Robert Varsek, the accident catapulted Joanne out of the incubator, causing her to suffer a traumatic brain injury which will require her to have 24-hour care for the rest of her life. The family’s personal injury complaint detailed that Joanne also suffered injuries to her bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscles, nerves and body tissue; all of which contributed to her prolonged pain and suffering, disfigurement, mental anxiety and emotional stress. Varsek added that Joanne will never go to school or be gainfully employed because of the injuries.

According to the terms of the yet-to-be-approved settlement, IBI would pay $4,632,000 to Joanne. $2.332 million of this personal injury settlement would be paid in cash while the remaining $2.3 million would go to the purchase of two annuities paying Joanne $13,000 per month for the rest of her life. Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh would be required to pay $500,000 in cash while Bridge’s estate would have to pay $25,000 in cash. As part of its Pennsylvania car accident settlement, Guardian Angel Ambulance Service Inc. would be required to pay $150,000 in cash.

Judge Oliver J. Lobaugh said yesterday that he will review the agreement before signing his name to it. If approved, Varsek believes this personal injury settlement to be the largest ever in Venango County.