When unexpected circumstances arise in your workplace that causes personal injury, you can rely on the experienced workers compensation attorneys of Chicago’s Lipkin & Apter. With over 70 combined years of legal experience our team has the confidence to take on cases, like A.R.’s.
A.R., a long time correctional officer with the Cook County Department of Corrections, contacted the Workers’ Compensation attorneys at Lipkin & Apter following a slip-and-fall a few feet from the front gate of Cook County Jail. Water had pooled on the sidewalk directly in front of the gate in the entranceway that A.R. used to enter and exit work.
Following the accident, our legal client developed pain in his knee. His orthopedic surgeon performed an arthroscopic removal of loose bodies and a chondroplasty, or smoothing out of the cartilage on the underside of the knee. This was a routine procedure, but in the days immediately following surgery, A.R. developed intense pain in the back of his knee with swelling. He underwent a Doppler ultrasound for suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT), but none was found. Two weeks later at the racetrack, A.R. was suddenly overcome with chest pain and taken by ambulance to a hospital where he was diagnosed and treated for a heart attack.
The medical records showed that the heart attack was caused by a DVT, which had formed after his knee surgery, broke off, and traveled to A.R.’s main coronary artery. Lipkin & Apter’ believed that A.R. was entitled to workman’s compensation not only for his knee injury, but for his heart attack as well. The Cook County Department of Corrections was only willing to pay for the knee injury, and only a token amount for A.R.’s heart attack. The county’s offer was $63,000. We counseled A.R. on the prospect of going to trial, which he agreed to.
At trial we were able to prove to the arbitrator that the DVT, which caused A.R.’s heart attack, was a consequence of his knee injury. Accordingly, the arbitrator awarded A.R. 25% disability to his leg and 20% disability to man as a whole, for a total settlement amount of $105,000. The money awarded for the man as a whole part of the award was larger than the money awarded for the original knee injury.
Contact the workers compensation attorneys at Lipkin & Apter today to schedule a free consultation. We will tell you if we believe it would benefit you to take your case to trial. We will also advise you of all settlement offers. Ultimately, our goal is to equip you with enough information for you to make the decision in your own best interests.