Our client was a passenger in a tractor trailer when the truck she was riding in was cut off by another car. Our client was sleeping in the sleeper cab when the driver slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision. Our client was thrown out of the sleeper cab and slammed against the back of the front seating. She suffered serious injury to her neck, which required a fusion surgery. She also suffered what is called a “double crush” injury to her median nerve.
The median nerve runs from the cervical (neck) area of the spine to both wrists. When the median nerve in the neck is injured, the injury can cause carpel tunnel in the wrists. That is what happened to our client. The accident and treatment left our client with painful, permanent injuries.
The accident happened while our client was at work. We filed a workers’ compensation claim to recover benefits under Missouri workers’ compensation law. The insurance company initially refused to pay our client anything claiming that her permenent injuries were not caused by the accident. We hired medical and vocational experts to prepare the case for trial. Days before trial, the insurance company agreed to pay $200,000 to settle the case.
The workers’ compensation system provides injured workers with medical care, wage replacement, and payment for permenent injuries that occur on the job. Make sure you know your rights if you are injured on the job. We are happy to help our clients recover the money they are owed.