In 1984 when she was 14 years old Lakshmi was hospitalized for three weeks, eventually diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, which is caused by hypersensitivity to an infection or certain kinds of medications. Two days after discharge from the hospital she was in a car accident in Malibu, California, which left her with a fractured right hip and a shattered right upper arm.[12] The injury to her arm required surgery which left her with a 7-inch scar between her elbow and shoulder.