$118,000 Settlement For Victim Of Construction Site Accident

$118,000 Settlement for Victim of Construction Site Accident

WHAT HAPPENED:
Our client worked for a tire company and was sent to a construction site to pick up a load of tires. As an employee of the construction company was loading the tires into the back of a truck with a backhoe, a hydraulic line burst, causing the 200 pound bucket to swing out and hit our client. This knocked our client over onto his back and right side. Immediately after the fall, our client had numbness in his right hand and both legs, and an ambulance was called to the scene to take him to the hospital.

THE CASE:
After our client underwent extensive testing in the emergency room, including CT scans and X-rays, it was determined that he luckily had no broken bones. The ER doctor sent him home with pain medication and instructions not to return to work for at least a week. However, three weeks later our client was still experiencing intense pain and numbness in his back and hand. He went to an orthopedic doctor that specialized in hand injuries and underwent more testing, including an EMG. The tests showed that our client had carpal tunnel syndrome in his hand/wrist. He had been treating it conservatively by wearing a brace, but he it looked like he may need surgery to repair the damage in the future.

Our client also underwent a lumbar MRI and was referred to an orthopedic doctor that specialized in back injuries. He was prescribed anti-inflammatories, pain medication and physical therapy twice a week. After two months of physical therapy, our client’s back pain improved somewhat but he still had some limitations due to pain and weakness. He then tried steroid injections in his lower back but they did not provide long term relief. After completing almost a year of treatment, our client’s medical bills were over $43,000. Unfortunately, he was unable to fully regain the strength and movement he had before this incident and was unable to perform heavy manual labor as he used to.

THE RESULT:
Initially the insurance company offered a low-ball offer of $75,000. After an aggressive negotiation, The Champion Firm was able to settle the case for $118,000.