Salt Lake City December 2006 - A settlement worth $865,000 was reached for a 52-year-old man who was injured in an oil field accident. The man was injured when a large metal structure was dropped from a forklift, throwing him to the ground. His injuries resulted in chronic migraine headaches and required a surgical fusion of the bones in his lower back. He lives in a rural portion of Montana and will most likely never again be employed. The Defendants in the case included the leaseholders of the drilling site and its consultants, and the trucking company that was hired to move the structure.
A complication in the case was the fact that the man's employer was partially at fault, yet the employer was claiming rights to a large amount of money that had already been paid out in workers compensation benefits.
"The key to the case was not only getting that company to waive its lien, but also convincing them to contribute a six-figure amount towards the settlement," said attorney Bob Gilchrist, who handled the case for the firm. "After we wiped out that lien we were able to set up a financial situation that will allow our client to upgrade his home and living conditions, yet also have a comfortable guaranteed income for the rest of his life."
