BOCA RATON, FL — A Palm Beach County man has filed a medical negligence lawsuit against a Boca Raton chiropractic provider, claiming a neck adjustment caused a vertebral artery dissection and led to treatment at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, according to a complaint filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
The complaint, Adam Riff v. Michael Minett, D.C. and Total Health and Rehab Center, Inc., Case No. 502026CA006889XXXAMB, was filed June 19, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County. The filing is a complaint for damages and jury trial.
Adam Riff is the plaintiff. The defendants are Michael Minett, D.C., and Total Health and Rehab Center, Inc. Total Health & Rehab Center of Boca Raton is located at 8903 Glades Road, Suite A11, Boca Raton, FL 33434.
The plaintiff is represented by Weisser, Cummings, Podolnick & Chernoff, P.A., according to the complaint. The filing states that venue is proper in Palm Beach County because the events giving rise to the case allegedly occurred there and because the defendants conduct their chiropractic practices there.
According to the complaint, Riff went to Minett on Sept. 1, 2023, with acute worsening of chronic neck pain radiating to his right upper back and right forearm. The lawsuit alleges Minett noted that Riff had neck and back pain for more than 20 years and that a recent MRI showed degenerative changes at C3-C6.
The filing says Minett performed a chiropractic adjustment of Riff’s neck. The complaint alleges Minett did not tell Riff before the adjustment that a dissected vertebral artery was a known risk and complication of the procedure.
The complaint claims Riff later experienced new headaches after the manipulation. It states that his primary care physician ordered an MRA of the head, performed Sept. 12, 2023, which the complaint says showed an abnormal appearance involving the basilar artery and vertebral arteries.
Riff went to Boca Raton Regional Hospital that evening with complaints of a severe headache and sharp, stabbing head pain, according to the complaint. The filing says he was admitted shortly after midnight on Sept. 13, 2023, underwent imaging studies, was evaluated by neurology and endovascular neurology, and was discharged Sept. 14, 2023.
The complaint also states that Riff later contacted Minett’s office and said he would not return because of health issues after the adjustment. According to the lawsuit, Riff was later evaluated by neurologists and a neurosurgeon, with the complaint describing concerns about a vertebral artery dissection.
The lawsuit brings three counts: negligence against Minett, lack of informed consent against Minett, and vicarious liability against Total Health and Rehab Center, Inc. for Minett’s alleged negligence.
In the negligence count, the complaint alleges Minett failed to properly examine Riff, consider his medical history, diagnose him, make an appropriate referral and properly perform the Sept. 1, 2023, chiropractic adjustment.
In the informed consent count, the complaint alleges Minett failed to disclose that a cervical spine adjustment for a patient with Riff’s history and presentation could result in a vertebral artery dissection and related complications. The complaint claims Riff would not have undergone the adjustment if he had been advised of that risk.
The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of the court’s jurisdictional limits, pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, attorney’s fees where requested, and a jury trial.
The filing reviewed by Boca Post does not include a response from either defendant.
Boca Post reviewed the complaint, Adam Riff v. Michael Minett, D.C. and Total Health and Rehab Center, Inc., Case No. 502026CA006889XXXAMB, filed June 19, 2026, in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
The case is a newly filed civil complaint in Division AI. A jury trial has been demanded, according to the filing.
Learn more about medical malpractice claims and how they’re typically litigated. Boca Post tracks civil litigation filed in Palm Beach County courts as part of its ongoing legal coverage. Readers can explore recent cases in our Boca Raton lawsuits coverage.
