When a labor foreman for the City of Chicago was injured at work she turned to Ankin Law attorney, Sarah Kirchner for help. Sarah did not let her down. As the City of Chicago was not willing to grant the woman what she needed to get back to healthy, the case went to arbitration. Sarah was able to get the compensation the worker deserved in the form of:
- Payment for any outstanding medical services.
- Temporary Total Disability benefits of $944.23/week for 94 weeks.
- Approval and payment for neck surgery and all necessary post-operative care.
[Read the Full Arbitrator Decision Here]
The injured worker was employed by the City of Chicago’s Water Management Department where her duties included general labor and cleaning tasks, as well as administrative responsibilities, such as taking attendance during her shifts at the water purification plant.
On the day of the injury she was using a freight elevator to travel to a lower level of the facility in order to check attendance. As she was exiting the freight elevator, the elevator door suddenly slammed down onto her head. She testified that she experienced immediate pain in her head and neck as a result of the incident. She further testified that she reported the accident on the date it occurred to her coworker, Natalie. Natalie then reported the incident to her supervisor and called an ambulance.
She was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where CT imaging of her head and cervical spine showed no acute fracture, but did reveal cervical degenerative changes. She was diagnosed with a head injury and probable post-concussive syndrome, treated conservatively, and instructed to follow up.
Four days later she saw a neurologist, reporting headaches, blurred vision, and memory complaints. Her doctor diagnosed her with post-traumatic headaches, PTSD, cervical radiculopathy, and vestibular dysfunction, all believed to be related to the work accident. Diagnostic testing included a VNG, showing central and peripheral dysfunction, and later MRI imaging.
During the same period she treated with a pain management doctor. She consistently reported severe headaches, neck pain, blurry vision, tinnitus, and limited cervical range of motion. Her pain doctor diagnosed her with cervicalgia, post-concussion syndrome, and headaches, placed her off work, and treated with physical therapy, medications, and injections. In addition, the injured foreman underwent a cervical epidural steroid injection, and a cervical medial branch nerve block.
Her doctor recommended surgical intervention consisting of a C5-C6 anterior cervical decompression and fusion. Until Sarah Kirchner’s success in arbitration, her employer was not willing to agree to the surgery. Until the surgery, she will likely continue to experience persistent neck pain with left arm radiation, and chronic headaches.
