Tinh P. and her husband moved to the Columbus area at a young age from Southeast Asia. After their 3 children started school, Tinh went to work on the assembly line at a large food processing plant. After several years, she noticed the onset of pain in her hands and elbows and was diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. Following surgery to each wrist, she returned to work but her condition did not improve. She wore night splints and took appropriate medication but complained of pain in both wrists and experienced numbness and tingling in her middle, ring and little fingers. Repeat surgeries did not improve her condition.
The following year, she slipped on a wet floor and fell, suffering a microfracture of the near inner ear, strains and sprains from her neck to her low back and a disc herniation in her neck. Given that surgery failed to improve her wrists, Tinh opted not to undergo surgery for her herniated disc. Instead, her doctors recommended pain management, including a series of epidural steroid injections. She subsequently developed myofascial pain syndrome in her neck, a painful condition that results in significant pain and loss of motion.
Her employer vigorously fought her treatment and all of the additional conditions. We were successful in overcoming the reports of the hired defense doctors and obtain approval for the additional conditions and treatment following many hearings over several years.
Ultimately, Tinh’s employer inquired about settlement of the claims and we were able to negotiate a settlement of nearly $200,000, four times higher than the employer’s initial offer. Tinh and her husband have continued to send us Christmas cards each year, telling us how they continue to pray for all of us. It was a blessing and honor to represent her and it is exciting that her children have themselves have gone on to complete professional degrees in medicine and elsewhere.
