Car AccidentsBack Surgery With Future Lost Wages

George Patterson obtained an arbitration award of over $425,000 for a client that required back surgery after a car accident. The client sustained a herniated disc that required back surgery. The client had incurred medical bills of just over $26,000 but was unable to work as a bridge welder following the back surgery. He found new employment that paid less per hour. An economist estimated the client’s future lost earning capacity. The hourly rate paid to bridge welders was higher than the hourly rate for welders that did not have to climb with welding equipment. An economist was needed to evaluate the future wage losses caused by disability that only impacted a subset of welding jobs. The future lost wages was considered small and speculative by the insurance company. They noted that the client could still work as a welder. This argument was rejected by the judge that decided the case. The car accident lawyers at Patterson Law have experience identifying cases where experts are needed to maximize the client’s financial recovery from a car accident. The Annapolis and Bowie personal injury lawyers at Patterson Law have obtained substantial awards in cases for future lost wages (permanent loss of earning capacity) where their clients have only been disabled from certain tasks.

The client in this accident sustained a serious back injury that required surgery. The surgeon helped him recover from the herniated disc. His surgeon told him to quit his job as a bridge welder to prevent the surgery from failing. An economist estimated the difference in income between a welder and a bridge welder. After receiving an award the client was able to invest in equipment to start a new career. Ironically these funds transformed the client from an employee to a business owner. The future economic losses were able to be avoided because the compensation for this loss created a new opportunity. For the first time since the car accident the client was able to fully provide for his family again. Helping clients RECOVER is about more than the award.

Back surgeries from car accidents are often needed as a result of a disc herniating or rupturing. A herniated disc can press on a nerve causing pain and sometimes weakness. Patterson Law has worked with orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons to explain to juries the causal connection between a trauma from a car accident and the need for a back surgery. Defense lawyers often blame the need for a back surgery on degenerative changes that are unrelated to a car accident. Even worse, they will insinuate that the back injury was caused by the client’s job. Many cases involving a back surgery that seemed clearly related to a car accident have been lost due to insurance company lawyers and their doctors arguing that the back surgeries are unrelated to the car accident. Patterson Law has litigated dozens of back surgery cases and successfully cross-examined doctors hired by insurance companies to “independently” evaluate the relationship between car accidents and back surgeries. We have also prevailed for clients that were more susceptible to injury due to prior back injuries or that have had prior back problems aggravated by a car accident.

Back surgeries from car accidents are often needed as a result of a disc herniating or rupturing. A herniated disc can press on a nerve causing pain and sometimes weakness. Patterson Law has worked with orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons to explain to juries the causal connection between a trauma from a car accident and the need for a back surgery. Defense lawyers often blame the need for a back surgery on degenerative changes that are unrelated to a car accident. Even worse, they will insinuate that the back injury was caused by the client’s job. Many cases involving a back surgery that seemed clearly related to a car accident have been lost due to insurance company lawyers and their doctors arguing that the back surgeries are unrelated to the car accident. Patterson Law has litigated dozens of back surgery cases and successfully cross-examined doctors hired by insurance companies to “independently” evaluate the relationship between car accidents and back surgeries. We have also prevailed for clients that were more susceptible to injury due to prior back injuries or that have had prior back problems aggravated by a car accident.