Be Carefule How You Settle Your Workers' Compensation Claim

There are so many pitfalls and issues that could arise when settling a workers' compensation claim.  First thing is that you must have an experienced workers' compensation lawyer representing you and making sure you miss all of the potential land mines.  Second, as a recent Federal case demonstrates, your lawyer has to be careful what types language is contained within the settlement agreement.

In Zuber v. Boscov's, Craig Zuber filed a claim for interference with his FMLA (Family Medical Leave) rights and wrongful termination.  However, the Defendant argued that the case should be dismissed because the plaintiff settled his workers' compensation claim and, in so doing, signed a Compromise and Release Agreement which released all claims. 

The Compromise and Release Agreement provided for a "full and final resolution of all aspects of the 8/12/2014 alleged work injury claim and its sequela whether known or unknown at this time."  This typical language is used by insurance companies when settling workers' compensation claims.  In other words, when your employer settles your workers' compensation claim with you they don't want you coming back asking for more money for other injuries.  Additional language in this settlement provided that "...employee is forever relinquishing any and all rights to seek any and all past, present and/or future benefits, including, but not limited to, wage loss benefits, specific loss benefits, disfigurement benefits, medical benefits or any other monies of any kind including, but not limited to, interest, costs, attorney's fees and/or penalties for or in connection with the alleged 8/12/2014 work injury claim as well as any other work injury claim(s) Employee may have with or against Employer up through and including 4/7/2015."

So, what should a claimant do before they settle their workers' compensation claim?  For starters, it is important that you let your workers' compensation attorney know whether or not you have any other claims against the employer that you intend to pursue or are pursuing.  Additionally, many attorneys handling workers' compensation claims are not familiar with state and federal employment laws and perhaps therefore they do not even explore or consider whether you may have valid claims against your employer or former employer.  Don't assume that your attorney will advise you if you have such a claim, ask, and if your attorney doesn't know ask for a referral to an employment attorney who does know your rights under the law and can advise you.

Lastly, and most importantly, make sure that any and all language inserted into a Compromise and Release Agreement is limited solely to a release and waiver of claims under the workers' compensation laws.  In other words, rather than signing a document stating that you are waiving any and all claims related to your work injury, make sure the document states that you are waiving any and all claims under the workers' compensation laws related to your work injury.  It may seem trivial, but the legal ramifications, as described above, can be significant.

Can I Settle My PA Workers’ Comp Case?

Sure! (Well, most of the time.) I represent injured workers who receive PA workers’ comp. Sometimes, a case is just right to “settle” - or “put an end to” - medical benefits, wage benefits or even both. Settling a Workers’ Comp case means that the injured worker and the insurance company have come to an agreement as to just how much ‘value’ (or ‘money’) the case is worth when considering medical bills and treatment as well as any past or future lost wages. Once everyone agrees on a value for the case, a Workers’ Comp Judge reviews the terms of the settlement (in Comp lingo, called a ‘Compromise and Release’). Then, the Judge issues a Decision approving the C&R and the insurance company pays you the ‘value’ you agreed upon.

Do we settle every case? Definitely not! In most cases we start thinking about settling only after our client is finished treating with his doctor and once we know the client’s long-term prognosis. It makes no sense to settle your case if you are unsure about the need for future surgery, therapy or the like. It also makes no sense to settle the case if you are unsure whether you’ll be returning to work at the same wage you earned before the injury or whether you might not return to work at all. And then there are the times that settling the case is the right thing to do despite the medical or wage issues.

Based on my 16 years' of experience in litigating PA Workers’ Comp cases, I may have reason to believe that your chances of winning before the Judge are slim. If this is the case, it may be in your best interest to settle the case rather than risk losing before the Judge and getting no

Comp benefits at all. It is important to remember that each case is different. You need to evaluate your case based on these and other factors to determine if settlement is appropriate.

More likely than not, there is value in your case and many times the insurance company can be motivated to pay “top dollar” to clear their books of open claims. I will evaluate your case to determine if it’s ready to settle, and if so, the fair ‘value’ of your case so you can move on in your life and support your family. Send me an email, give me a call or just stop by if

I can help with your PA Workers’ Comp case.

New settlement documents required by Pennsylvania Dept. of Labor and Industry

For all my Pennsylvania workers' compensation colleagues out there, the Department of Labor and Industry, Bureau of Workers' Compensation, has promulgated new Compromise and Release forms that must be used when you settle a case. You can find the new document here.

Some of our successful case results

Please note that every case is different and these workers' compensation lump sum settlements, while accurate, do not represent what we may obtain for you in your case. Every injured worker is different given the type of injury, the amount of disability, your average weekly wage and weekly compensation benefit rate.

Nor does it mean that we win all of our cases - we don't. Our clients tell us that knowing that we have achieved significant results is one factor that many of them used to decide to hire us. You certainly should ask any prospective attorney whether he or she has obtained significant verdicts and lump sum or compromise and release settlements but the decision to hire an attorney should not be made on this factor alone. We would be more than happy to discuss any of these cases, and many others, with you.

Bridge Construction worker with herniated discs in neck - $385,000.00

43 year old male who was a highly paid bridge construction worker injured his neck while lifting on the job. He ultimately had to undergo two cervical surgeries to repair herniated discs in his neck. Thereafter, he developed RSD or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in his left arm. He ultimately lost the use of his left arm for every, practical uses. He also started experiencing the same symptoms in his right arm, all stemming from the neck injury.Carroll & Carroll, P.C. filed litigation. The insurance company accepted responsibility for the work injury and even agreed that the claimant lost the use of his left arm. However, the workers' compensation insurance company disputed the relatedness of the right arm.The case settled for $385,000.00 which is a record settlement for Carroll & Carroll, P.C. in a workers' compensation case. Also part of the settlement is that the insurance company has agreed to pay whatever medicare set aside amount is required by Medicare.

Repatative Use Injury to Arms - $175,000.00

53 year old woman had worked at a label making plant for over 20 years. Several years ago, she began having pain in her right arm when she would perform her highly repetitive duties making labels for clothing. When she was restricted to one arm work, she had to use her "good" arm too much and began suffering the same symptoms in the left arm. Carroll & Carroll, P.C. filed a claim petition against the employer and won the case. The workers' compensation judge ruled that the claimant first suffered a right arm epicondylitis and then, due to over-use, suffered the same condition in her left arm later in her employment. An interesting twist in this case was that each "arm injury" was covered by a different insurance company due to the time the injuries arose.

Eventually, Carroll & Carroll, P.C. was able to secure a settlement for the claimant that protected her future medical bills and allowed her to retire with no financial worries.

Loss of use of arm for lumber yard worker - $150,000.00

27 year old male who was working at a local lumber yard injured his arm on a piece of the industrial machinery used to plane wood. While clearing out pieces of debris from the machine, another employee turned it on, locking the client's arm in the machine and causing injury. The client's arm was significantly injured, needing many surgeries.Carroll & Carroll, P.C. filed a petition to force the workers' compensation insurance company to pay the client specific loss benefits. These are benefits an injured employee receives when he/she loses the use of a body part. We argued that the client lost the use of his arm due to the injury. We eventually settled the case for a lump sum payment of $150,000.00. Also, the client is on social security disability. Carroll & Carroll, P.C. has also filed a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the machine due to it being defective for not having proper safeguards designed into the machine.

Construction worker broke leg requiring surgery - $145,000.00

While on a job site, a 45 year old construction worker tripped over some boards, breaking his leg. The break was so bad that surgery had to be done to place screws and plates to mend the bones. Unfortuneately, the client's leg was so disabled that he could not return to construction work. Further, the client developed RSD or what is now referred to as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Carroll & Carroll, P.C. was able to win the client's comp benefits after the insurance company denied him what was owed to him. Further, we were able to secure Social Security Disability benefits for the client, then settle his workers' compensation claim for $145,000.00. After the comp settlement, the client will continue to receive his monthly SSD check plus have all of his medical bills paid for through Medicare.

Shop Teacher Amputates Fingers on Table Saw - $125,000.00

A Vocational Tech teacher for a local school severely injured his hand while using a table saw in shop class. Even though the teacher returned to work after a brief period, Carroll & Carroll, P.C. filed a claim for the "specific loss" of use of several fingers. We were able to prove that the teacher had loss the use of three fingers either through outright amputation or severe damage. The case was ultimately settled for a lump sum of $125,000.00 including the payment of all medical bills and the waiver of the workers' compensation lien against any recovery from the product liability case against the table saw manufacturer.

Lumbar Surgery - $110,000.00

38 year old male injured his lower back while lifting something heavy at work. He eventually had lumbar spine surgery and was totally disabled. He had been on workers' compensation for many years before coming to Carroll & Carroll, P.C. for help in getting some medical bills paid. We made sure he was approved for Social Security Disability and Medicare. Then we settled his workers' compensation case for $110,000.00. Now the claimant does not have to worry about his benefits being cut off or looking over his shoulder all the time worrying that someone was watching him. He did not have to go to hearings anymore and could move on with his life.

Loss of Use of Hand - $110,000.00

60 year old woman had her hand trapped in a conveyor belt while working at a local cabinet making plant. After several surgeries on her hand and a partial amputation of her index finger, she no longer had much use of the hand. The lawyers at C&C Law filed a petition for specific loss of use of her hand. We put on such a good case that we were able to settle her case for a $110,000.00 lump sum payment plus continued medical coverage for 2 years.

Blister On Foot Nets Big Comp Settlement - $90,000.00

45 year old male who injured his foot at work causing swelling. Because he continued to keep working with the swelled foot, a blister appeared due to his tight fitting shoe. Unfortunately, the blister became infected with MSR. The employee went through many surgeries and loss of a few toes due to the infection. Complicating matters was the fact that the employee had pre-existing diabetes that was obviously not related to work and that contributed to the infection not healing. So, the insurance company argued that the employee's current condition was not related to the original work injury but to his diabetes.

Carroll & Carroll, P.C. filed a Specific Loss petition claiming that due to the many surgeries and infection and loss of a few toes, the claimant had loss the use of his entire foot as if it was actually amputated. Also, there was a question as to jurisdiction of the case. The insurance company wanted to have the case heard in either Maryland (where the original foot injury occurred) or New Jersey (where the employer's corporate headquarters was located) or in New York (where claimant lived), three states that are not as good for injured workers as Pennsylvania. We were able to negotiate with the insurance company to have the case heard in Pennsylvania. Also, we were able to get all of the medical bills paid. Further, we were able to convince the insurance company that the claimant actually loss the use of his foot. The case was settled for a lump sum of $90,000.00. Also, the claimant was approved for Social Security Disability so he will be receiving monthly benefits in order to pay his living expenses. Further, he was approved for medicare so his future medical bills will be paid.

Work related back injury but no surgery - $80,000.00

A 26 year old man injured his back lifting something heavy while working at Proctor and Gamble in Meshoppen, Pennsylvania. The client was off work due to his injuries despite the fact that P&G wanted him to come back to work on light duty. The client did not have surgery on his lumbar spine.

Prison Guard receives settlement in MRSA case

This is a news story about a prison guard who contracted a MRSA infection while at work. The infection caused significant scarring on her face. The case settled for $226,000.00. See the whole article here.

Can I settle my Pennsylvania workers' compensation case?

Sure! (Well, most of the time.) At C&C Law, we represent injured workers who receive PA workers’ comp. Sometimes, a case is just right to “settle” - or “put an end to” - either your medical benefits, wage benefits or even both.

Settling a Workers’ Comp case means that the injured worker and the insurance company, after negotiation, have come to an agreement as to just how much ‘value’ (or ‘money’) the case is worth when considering medical bills and treatment as well as any past or future lost wages. Once everyone agrees on a value for the case, a Workers’ Comp Judge reviews the terms of the settlement (in Comp lingo, called a ‘Compromise and Release Agreement’). Then, the Judge issues a Decision approving the C&R and the insurance company pays you the ‘value’ you agreed upon. Here is .pdf version of a blank Compromise and Release Agreement that must be filled out and submitted to the Judge for review.


Do we settle every case? Definitely not! In most cases we start thinking about settling only after our client is finished treating with his/her doctor and once we know the client’s long-term prognosis. It makes no sense to settle your case if you are unsure about the need for future surgery, therapy or the like. It also makes no sense to settle the case if you are unsure whether you’ll be returning to work at the same wage you earned before the injury or whether you might not return to work at all.

And then there are the times that settling the case is the right thing to do despite the medical or wage issues. Based on our years of experience in litigating Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp cases, we may have reason to believe that your chances of winning before the Judge are slim. If this is
the case, it may be in your best interest to settle the case rather than risk losing before the Judge and getting no Comp benefits at all.

It is important to remember that each case is different. You need to evaluate your case based on these and other factors to determine if settlement is appropriate. More likely than not, there is value in your case and many times the insurance company can be motivated to pay “top dollar” to clear their books of open claims. Because every case is different, there is no way to give you a "value " for a lump sum settlement of your case by using an easy equation. You may have heard of an equation of 10 years' worth of wage benefits. Or another one often cited is 3 to 5 years worth of wage benefits. Although some times cases settle within these general guidelines, often times cases settle for more or even less, depending on many circumstances.

At C&C Law, we will evaluate your case to determine if it’s ready to settle, and if so, the fair ‘value’ of your case so you can move on in your life and support your family. Send us an email, give us a call or just stop by if we can help with your PA Workers’ Comp case.