GWC Partner James J. Nawrocki has obtained a $500,000.00 workers’ compensation settlement for a construction worker who was injured in a fall.
Floor Gives Out Beneath Construction Worker
GWC’s client is a 55-year-old construction worker.
In 2018, he was working on a project in Indiana. While he was putting rebar into a cage, the floor gave out beneath him, causing him to fall three feet before he landed on his right side.
As a result of this incident, the client sustained serious injuries, including exacerbation of right shoulder osteoarthritis and herniated nucleus pulposis of the cervical spine. After a lengthy course of physical therapy, he underwent a total right shoulder replacement surgery.
Despite his extensive treatment, the client was unable to return to his job as a construction worker, a loss of his trade of many years. He is also likely to require a future discectomy and fusion surgery to address his cervical injury.
Insurance Company Contests Causal Relationship
GWC faced considerable pushback from the workers’ compensation insurance company when trying to get the construction worker the benefits he needed.
“The insurer contested both the right shoulder and cervical injuries, insisting they were not related to the accident,” said Mr. Nawrocki. “They also disputed the necessity of his proposed surgeries.”
In response to this opposition, Mr. Nawrocki took a total of eight evidence depositions with two of the client’s treating physicians and two independent medical examiners (IMEs). Over the course of these depositions, he established a causal relationship between the incident and the client’s injuries, as well as the medical necessity of the prescribed surgeries.
Thanks to Mr. Nawrocki’s nimble deposition work, the client received approval for a right shoulder replacement surgery.
Mr. Nawrocki also obtained a final workers’ compensation settlement of $500,000.00, which included $200,000.00 for the client’s Permanent Partial Disability (PPD), $200,000.00 for his disputed future medical treatment, and $100,000.00 for a Medicare Set Aside.
Dedicated to Protecting Injured Workers
Even though injured workers may be entitled to certain benefits under Illinois law, far too often employers and insurance companies fight to block their approval in order to reduce their own financial exposure. If you find yourself in this situation, consider doing what thousands of others have done before you and reach out to the workers’ compensation attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.
With over $2 billion recovered in verdicts and settlements, GWC is one of the premier Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury law firms in Illinois. For more than four decades, we have represented workers in nearly every profession who have been injured in practically every type of circumstance. Our dedicated workers’ compensation attorneys have the experience, the determination, the resources, and the reputation of success necessary to help make sure that you receive the benefits you are owed and the justice you deserve.
Contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a workers’ compensation attorney. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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