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Warehouse forklift incident
Patricia was hit by a forklift at work. Workers' comp wasn't the whole story.
Patricia Onyema·47·Newark, NJ
Settlement
$850,000
I'd worked at the warehouse for nine years. The forklift came around a blind corner and pinned my leg against a pallet rack.
Workers' comp covered the surgery and some of my time off. But I couldn't go back to that job. I couldn't stand for a full shift anymore.
The lawyer I found through ClaimCase explained that the forklift was made by a third party with a known design defect. We filed a separate product liability claim.
It took almost two years. The settlement gave me a real future, not just a Band-Aid.
"I was told workers' comp was all I could get. That turned out to be the most expensive piece of advice I almost took."
How the settlement broke down
- Workers' comp (separate)$120,000
- Product liability settlement$850,000
- Future earnings$320,000
- Pain and suffering$410,000