Most workers’ compensation claims are
small. They typically cover medical care and lost wages that have resulted from
a workplace injury. Sometimes, however, the situation is rather more extreme.
Here are three of the biggest settlements ever negotiated as part of workers’
compensation claims. These are exceptional cases. All of these claimants
suffered in a way that is far too awful to be nullified by money.
Antonio
Enriquez
Lawyer Christopher Asvar has claimed to be
the person responsible for securing the biggest ever workers’ compensation
payout in American history. An 8.9 million dollar settlement was reached on behalf of Antonio Enriquez, a painter and
decorator who suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling from a scaffold
as an 18 year old. He was working for the California State Fund at the time.
Enriquez suffered lasting damage to his
physical and mental health after the fall, and will require care for the rest
of his life. The 8.9 million dollar settlement was organized in such a way that
Enriquez would be given payments for care every month so long as he lived. How much you can receive from a workers’ compensation payout often depends on the length of
time in which you will need to have care or treatment. The settlement may have
been large, but the story is a sad one. Money really can’t fix everything, and
Enriquez will have to live with his injuries regardless of his financial
situation.
Asvar
Outdoes Himself
Christopher Asvar once again claimed to
have broken the record for the highest workers’ compensation settlement several years after the Enriquez case. His
client – who remains unnamed in the press – was driving home from a special
audit at her workplace at 2:30am when she hit a pole on the side of the road.
The case bought several issues into the light. Most importantly, the judge had
to decide whether the company the claimant worked for was responsible for her
safety. She was not on the company’s property, so they argued that they could
not be responsible for her injuries. The judge ruled that due to the claimant undertaking
a work-based activity at the time of the crash she should be eligible to
workers’ compensation.
The woman received terrible injuries,
including a traumatic head injury that was expected to affect her quality of
life indefinitely. She was awarded a whopping $10 million.
Steele
Vs William A Hazel Inc
Steele was an 18 year old construction
worker who was hit in the head with a heavy piece of equipment while working on
a site. He suffered a traumatic brain injury which completely stopped him from
being able to work again. After rehabilitation attempts failed, the young man
was committed to a residential brain injury unit, requiring 24-hour care.
Because of his young age (meaning he would have to live with his injury for
longer), his awful injury and the specialist care that he required this
claimant was rewarded $6.234 million in workers’ compensation.
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