Rick was stopped in traffic when he was rear-ended by a large, commercial van, which pushed him into the car in front of him. His vehicle then deflected off the vehicle in front of him, sending him into oncoming traffic where he was hit head-on by another vehicle.

Rick suffered a mid-shaft femur fracture which required open reduction internal fixation with an intramedullary rod and nailing. He also suffered from breathing difficulties and was sent home with oxygen for one month following his initial hospital stay, but that condition cleared up. The fracture did not fill-in well and took months to fully heal, requiring extended use of a bone stimulator. His medical bills were approximately $70,000 and he was out of work for about one month, losing approximately $8,000 in wages. Rich Ruohonen got this case settled for $265,000.