JC works in construction and specializes in demolition. His job involves breaking up concrete with a jackhammer, tearing down walls, and performing heavy lifting throughout the day. The work is physically demanding and repetitive.<\/p>\n
While lifting a piece of broken concrete at work, JC felt a sudden pull in his shoulder followed by immediate pain. Like many injured workers, he initially thought the pain would improve on its own. He rested his shoulder, applied ice, and took ibuprofen.<\/p>\n
Despite the pain, JC continued working and relied mostly on his left arm to get through the day. He also did the right thing by reporting the injury to his supervisor, which led to involvement from human resources and the workers\u2019 compensation insurance company.<\/p>\n
As is common, the insurance company downplayed the injury. JC was sent to a workers\u2019 clinic, a medical facility that primarily treats patients referred by insurance companies. His condition did not improve, and the pain continued.<\/p>\n
Concerned about his health, his ability to work, and caring for his young son, JC reached out for legal help. He was referred to Donahoe Kearney by another lawyer familiar with our work handling workers\u2019 compensation cases.<\/p>\n
We connected JC with the right doctor, an orthopedic specialist, who ordered an MRI. The MRI confirmed a torn rotator cuff that required surgery. After pushing the case forward, the surgery was approved and JC began an extensive rehabilitation process.<\/p>\n
At the time of his injury, JC was attending night school and working toward starting his own business. These long-term goals mattered. When negotiating his workers\u2019 compensation case, we focused not only on medical treatment, but also on his future earning ability and time with his family.<\/p>\n
JC did not understand the workers\u2019 compensation system when his injury happened, but he knew he needed help navigating it. Once he made that decision, we handled the process so he could focus on healing.<\/p>\n
JC\u2019s case also highlights an important issue in construction injury cases. Depending on how an injury happens and who is involved at the worksite, an injured worker may have more than just a workers\u2019 compensation claim.<\/p>\n
In this video, Attorney Frank Kearney explains when a construction injury may involve a third-party claim in addition to workers\u2019 compensation and what that means for injured workers.<\/p>\n