Employee Paralyzed in Workplace Accident Recovers 3.2 Million in Recent Charleston Workers’ Compensation Case

Thomas M. White, Esq.

Charleston, SC (Law Firm Newswire) August 24, 2020 – The South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act provides injured workers with a way to obtain compensation after suffering serious injuries in a workplace accident. Employees who are injured while performing some tasks within their scope of employment may qualify for compensation under the Act. Compensation may include amounts for medical expenses, missed work and permanent disability that a worker suffered due to a workplace accident. 

In July of this year, a man who was paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a severe injury while at work obtained a $3.2 million settlement through a South Carolina workers’ compensation claim. He was represented by attorneys Thomas White of the Steinberg Law Firm and Peter David Brown. The injured employee was working with another employee to lift a scale used to weigh guests’ outgoing laundry. As the worker was lifting the scale, he injured his back and spine. The man immediately informed his employer and went to the hospital. While in the Emergency Room, doctors told the man that he would need immediate surgery. Tragically, the emergency procedure did not go as planned, and the worker was left paralyzed from the waist down as a result.

The injured worker filed a claim with his employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier. However, negotiations were initially disappointing because the carrier refused to offer the benefits that the man sought. The injured worker sought a concession from the carrier on two major issues. First, he wanted his wife to provide him with the in-home care that he needed, rather than have the assistance of a part-time home healthcare worker. Second, the man desired medical benefits that were more than what the workers’ compensation insurer was willing to provide.

After a lengthy negotiation process, the insurance carrier ultimately conveyed an acceptable settlement offer, providing the worker a total of $3.2 million, which included $2.35 million in special damages to be used for future medical care. As attorney White explained, his client was just 46 years old and had a lifetime of medical care that he wanted to be able to direct, rather than have his care dictated by his employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier.

Attorney White of the Steinberg Law reminds injured workers’ that the workers’ compensation system is here to provide them with the benefits they need and deserve after a severe South Carolina workplace accident. He explains, “It is crucial to remember that insurance carriers may not come out of the gate with a fair offer. Thus, it is important to convincingly present the full impact an accident will have on a worker’s life. By effectively telling a client’s story, we can often significantly increase the amount of an insurance carrier’s settlement offer.”

The dedicated lawyers at the Steinberg Law Firm have over 170 years of combined legal experience handling South Carolina workers’ compensation and personal injury claims. Since the firm’s creation over 90 years ago, the Steinberg Law Firm attorneys have provided exceptional representation to clients dealing with personal injury and workers’ compensation claims throughout the areas surrounding Charleston, South Carolina. 

Steinberg Law Firm attorneys are dedicated not just to each client, but also the protection of all workers and the advancement of workers’ rights, as a whole. The knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorneys at the Steinberg Law Firm can be contacted at https://www.steinberglawfirm.com/ and by calling 843-720-2800 for a free consultation.

Steinberg Law Firm
61 Broad St
Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 720-2800

118 S Goose Creek Blvd
Goose Creek, SC 29445
Phone: (843) 572-0700

103 Grandview Drive
Summerville, SC 29483
Phone: (843) 871-6522