One Tough Client

Met with a new client the other day to discuss his Workers' Compensation case. The client, an immigrant, has been working at a Chicagoland area company for some 30 years as a mechanic. He fixes the machines when they break down. Last August he was fixing a pulley machine and had gotten it back together when he was distracted and accidentally allowed his hand to touch one of the pulleys. Right hand gets sucked into machine, he loses most of his index finger, a good deal of his little finger and suffers enormous muscle and skin damage to the remainder of the hand. He has limited motion and feeling in the hand. Can no longer close his hand around a hammer. An enormous injury. I've seen clients carry on an on about far less serious injuries. This guy? No big deal. According to his kids[who came to the interview to help translate]the ambulance attendants said he rode in silence to the hospital, and made no complaints. He rushed through therapy so he could get back to work. Back fixing machines, with only one good hand and never complains. I told the kids we should at least investigate a products liability claim. Juries typically respond very well to people like this guy - suffered a terrible injury but isn't going to let it ruin his life.