Stanley celebrated his 44th birthday by getting injured at work! Employed as sanitation foreman for a municipality near Columbus, Stanley was loading a washer and dryer on a truck in January. The liftgate had ice and snow causing him to slip and fall. Although he was knocked out, he didn’t think his injury was serious. Although he continued working, by the end of the month, he went to his doctor and discovered he had torn a meniscus in his knee. Following surgery, he returned to work until he underwent the first of several back surgeries, shoulder surgery and another knee surgery. Previously very active, Stanley’s symptoms were aggravated with activity and even pain medication offered little relief.
Ultimately, Stanley’s drastically altered lifestyle (he could no longer work, enjoy hobbies such as working on his car, or even cut his grass) resulted in depression that further impacted his ability to enjoy life. He experienced significant stress worrying how he would continue to provide for his family. Owing to his significant physical injuries, his emotional decline, 9th grade education and inability to return to work, we were successful in having Stan placed on permanent total disability for his work-related injuries as well as Social Security Disability. After his award of Social Security Disability, Stan decided to settle his permanent total disability claim with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation for nearly $300,000.00.
