December 2018 Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Settlements and Verdicts
Below is a partial list of the cases that concluded, either “for now” or permanently last month at Warnken, LLC. Please understand two important things. First, in our view, workers’ compensation never pays enough. Even numbers you see below like $75,000 or $137,000 are not likely to compensate adequately for the life altering injuries suffered. This isn’t to say that our law firm didn’t get as much as possible under the law. It’s just that workers’ compensation, in particular, often simply doesn’t provide enough benefits. We encourage all Maryland residents to speak to their legislators and let them know that any potential laws that support the plight of the injured worker should be supported. The second thing to remember: all cases are different. Success in one case doesn’t mean the same or similar result in another case.
- Injury: Post-concussive syndrome and disc herniation at C5-6
- Body Part: Head and neck
- Amount: $75,000.00
- Claimant was injured after metal shelves struck the head and neck area. Claimant was treated with injections, pain management, and therapy.
- Injury: Rotator cuff tear
- Body Part: Shoulder
- Amount: $137,200.00
- Claimant was working as a diesel mechanic, pulling on a torque wrench when a pop occurred in the shoulder. An MRI showed a partial thickness tear of the rotator cuff. Claimant then came under the care of an orthopedist who provided an injection and recommended a course of physical therapy. Due to lack of improvement, surgery was performed in the form of arthroscopy of the shoulder with open decompression, resection of the distal clavicle and repair of the rotator cuff. Claimant underwent a course of post-operative rehabilitative therapy and a steroid injection before eventually being released.
- Injury: Chronic asthma
- Body Part: Lungs
- Amount: $10,000.00
- Location: Jessup, MD
- Injury: Chronic lumbar strain and chronic cervical strain
- Body Part: Back and neck
- Amount: $8,600.00
- Location: Hagerstown, MD
- Claimant fell from a chair at work. Claimant was treated with physical therapy and medication.
- Injury: Patellar subluxation and maltracking disorder
- Body Part: Knee
- Amount: $9,477.00
- Location: Salisbury, MD
- Claimant was injured after being struck in the knee. Claimant underwent physical therapy and injections.
- Injury: Acute strain of the right trapezius
- Body Part: Shoulder
- Amount: $7,500.00
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Claimant was injured after lifting a heavy object at work. Claimant had physical therapy and was treated with medication.
- Injury: Contusion to foot
- Body Part: Foot
- Amount: $1,625.00 in new money (total over life of claim – $6,175.00)
- Location: Baltimore
- Claimant was injured after a heavy object fell on foot. Claimant was treated with therapy.
- Injury: SLAP tear
- Body Part: Shoulder
- Amount: $30,712.50
- Location: Thurmont, MD
- Claimant was injured after lifting a heavy object at work. Claimant underwent surgical repair and extension therapy and work hardening to be able to return to pre-injury employment.
- Injury: Fracture of the left ring finger PIP joint, fracture of the proximal fibular head, left shoulder strain
- Body Part: Ring finger, left leg, left shoulder
- Amount: $13,547.50
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Claimant was injured after falling down stairs at work. Claimant was treated with casting and therapy. Claimant was able to return to pre-injury employment.
- Injury: L4-5 disc herniation
- Body Part: Back
- Amount: $7,500.00 (total amount $17,250) plus medical in the amount of $22,960.24
- Location: Joppa, MD
- Claimant was injured after lifting a heavy object at work. Claimant was treated with therapy and medication.
- Injury: Disk Herniation
- Body Part: Back
- Amount: $19,955.00 new money
- Claimant was working as an aquarist and sustained a back injury lifting two heavy buckets of gravel. An MRI revealed a large central disk protrusion compressing the spinal nerve roots. Surgery was performed in the form of a microdiskectomy. Claimant then came under the care of pain management specialist and had two epidural steroid injections.
- Injury: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Body Part: Bilateral hands
- Amount: $25,725.00
- Claimant developed pain and numbness in both hands after years of employment as a heavy equipment operator. An EMG confirmed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome for which the Claimant underwent two separate surgical release procedures.
- Injury: Spinal injury
- Body Part: Back
- Amount: $6,640.00
- Claimant sustained a back injury when operating a forklift that jolted forward. The treatment was medication only.
- Injury: Fracture of the patella
- Body Part: Knee
- Amount: $25,725.00
- Claimant tripped and fell while working on stilts. Claimant underwent surgery in the form of an open reduction internal fixation of the patella. A second surgery was later performed to remove hardware. Claimant underwent a course of post-operative physical therapy as well as a functional capacity evaluation which provided permanent work restrictions.
- Injury: Fractured tibia
- Body Part: Leg
- Amount: $22,004.00
- Claimant slipped and fell at work. An x-ray confirmed a fracture and the Claimant was placed in an immobilizer and on crutches. Claimant then underwent a course of physical therapy.
- Injury: Wrist sprain with ganglion cyst
- Body Part: Wrist
- Amount: $12,000.00
- Claimant sustained a sprained wrist while working as a mechanic. An MRI showed a ganglion cyst that required surgery in the form of a wrist arthroscopy with synovial debridement as well as an open excision of the ganglion cyst.
- Injury: Sprain/strain
- Body Part: Neck, back, knee
- Amount: $7,144.00
- Client was injured in a motor vehicle crash. The necessary medical treatment was physical therapy.
- Injury: Fracture of the tibia, lumbar sprain
- Body Part: Back, leg
- Amount: $33,345.00
- Claimant was working as a truck driver when a piece of asphalt struck the knee. An MRI of the leg was performed which showed a comminuted fracture of the tibial plateau. The necessary medical treatment was physical therapy and work hardening.
- Injury: Meniscal tear
- Body Part: Knee
- Amount: $10,560.00
- Claimant slipped and fell while working as a special education teacher. Surgery was performed in the form of an arthroscopy and partial meniscectomy. Claimant underwent a course of post-operative physical therapy and had a cortisone injection.
- Injury: Medial talar dome osteochondral lesion
- Body Part: Foot/ankle
- Amount: $11,180.00
- Claimant was working as a store manager when a customer ran over their foot with a wheelchair. Claimant was placed in a walking boot. Due to minimal improvement in symptoms, an MRI was ordered which revealed a medial talar dome osteochondral lesion. Surgery was performed in the form of an ankle arthroscopy with debridement. Claimant underwent a course of post-operative rehabilitative therapy before eventually being released.
- Injury: Fracture
- Body Part: Ribs
- Amount: $8,600.00
- Claimant slipped and fell sustaining multiple rib fractures. Treatment was rest and pain medication.