This case perfectly illustrates why work comp lawyers are necessary:  Our client was injured in an explosion that threw him 15 feet backwards causing terrible back pain.  The employer rushed him to the ER.  The insurance company paid these bills and paid him benefits while he was off work.  In time they grew tired of paying him benefits and their “expert” (a knee specialist who has never performed spinal surgery) said he could go back to work with a 25lb lifting restrictions.  The employer couldn’t accommodate the restrictions.  The client was still hurt, getting medical bills and had no income.  That’s when we were hired.  We recommended a spine expert who ordered MRIs and said that the client needed a lumbar fusion.  We took his deposition.  The employer’s insurance company hired a lawyer and took the depo of the knee expert.  The lawyer knew he couldn’t win in a spine injury case when all he had was a knee expert, so he sent my client to another expert…this time a spine expert…and guess what?  He agreed 100% with the treating doctor.  Did the insurance company agree to pay my client and authorize surgery?  Of course not.  We had to go to trial, which caused a year delay.  Yesterday we received the award of $578,000 in medical bills and $38,000 payment of his lost wages for the last year.  My firm took no fee. Zero.  All of the money either went to the client or paid all of his medical bills.  When the client reaches maximum improvement then we will get the remaining bills paid, get him money for his future medical bills and then get him money for his injury.  And then at the end of the case, and only then, we will get paid.

This trial never should have happened.  The insurance company should have just paid the man, helped him get better and back to work.  They would have saved thousands in litigation costs.  He would have gone back to work sooner.  They could have worked out a deal for much less than we will make them pay…and we will make them pay him everything he deserves.  And, this is why work comp lawyers are necessary. If you have a work comp case and need some help, give the Law Office of Keith Short a call at 618-254-0055.