Injury Settlement from Liberty Mutual

C

coolslice

Well-Known Member
So, last year I broke my ankle on the job. I was out from August through Christmas.

I got a call today from Liberty Mutual telling me that I have the option to schedule a "Limitation hearing" (i think it's called).

Basically they will be offering me a settlement to not claim this injury again. I have no idea what to expect, so any advice you all could share would be great. Thanks
 
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coolslice said:
So, last year I broke my ankle on the job. I was out from August through Christmas.

I got a call today from Liberty Mutual telling me that I have the option to schedule a "Limitation hearing" (i think it's called).

Basically they will be offering me a settlement to not claim this injury again. I have no idea what to expect, so any advice you all could share would be great. Thanks
Click to expand...
Call a lawyer.
 
M

ManInBrown

Well-Known Member
They're going to try to offer you a payout, on the condition you can never reopen the claim. Meaning if you hurt it again you can't be compensated. It's not a good move IMO. Get a lawyer.

Do not do this without professional help. If you injure this same body part later in life, your regular medical insurance can deny coverage I believe, if you take the payout. I'm almost positive that's the way it works
 
Re-Raise

Re-Raise

Well-Known Member
coolslice said:
So, last year I broke my ankle on the job. I was out from August through Christmas.

I got a call today from Liberty Mutual telling me that I have the option to schedule a "Limitation hearing" (i think it's called).

Basically they will be offering me a settlement to not claim this injury again. I have no idea what to expect, so any advice you all could share would be great. Thanks
Click to expand...
I had a work place injury last year. I had surgery to repair a cut tendon.

The "limitation hearing" will probably involve you receiving an MMI rating for your ankle. A doctor will decide your Maximum Medical Improvement rating which will give them a starting point to decide what to offer you for Permanent Partial Disability. Each body part is worth a certain number of weeks.

One really good thing that I learned that UPS does through Liberty Mutual, is that they settle their claims with open medical. Be sure to ask about that. The lawyers I spoke with said that is extremely rare.
 
35years

35years

Gravy route
Call a worker's comp lawyer familiar with UPS/Liberty Mutual. Do not make "statements"/interviews over the phone describing your condition to Liberty Mutual before you talk to the lawyer. Absolutely do not schedule a limitation hearing before you talk to an attorney. Your Local Union office will likely have a lawyer on retainer that can help, or they can direct you to one.
 
Re-Raise

Re-Raise

Well-Known Member
I talked to a couple of lawyers over the phone who said that if I came in and signed some papers they would expedite the settlement process. What they don't tell you is that if you receive an offer before hiring an attorney, they can't get any of the initial offer. They can only get a portion of any additional money they get for you.

After I negotiated myself with Liberty back and forth, I called the biggest worker's comp law firm in my area. I told them what I was offered and said I would like to hire them to get me more. They called me back a couple of days later and said they didn't think they could get me any more.
 
35years

35years

Gravy route
Believe me you may feel 100% now but in 30 years you may well be feeling that injury every day. Take the pay out now and you will have no claim later if you are debilitated. There is a reason Liberty Mutual contacted you, if you contacted them requesting a settlement I would be less defensive.
 
Bad Gas!

Bad Gas!

Well-Known Member
Remember you have to step on off car for x amount of years on that bad ankle. They must of had some bad claims from a kles not healing well. A simple sprain can last several months in a desk job. If you want be be a driver, don't settle. How old are you?
 
C

coolslice

Well-Known Member
Im 41. My understanding is that I will probably always have some pain from the injury (arthritis) but the ankle itself should not be in a weakened state, and the probability of a recurrence is no higher than anyone else. I am no longer a coverage driver, so the days of 175 stops and working a rock pile are over. If I were still in coverage, I would be much more cautious.

With that in mind, I have heard that they could offer 10's of thousands of dollars. My opinion is that I would want at least what they paid out for this past injury, because it would almost certainly be more expensive with each passing year. I am not broke or anything, but I am going through a lot of estate stuff and in the process of moving. A large chunk of cash would be very handy at the moment. I know it's probably a little risky, but it's much easier to say that it isn't smart when there isn't a check for 30k+ sitting in front of you.

By hiring a lawyer, it would only reduce the proceeds due to fees and what not. That said, I will definitely be informed before I speak with them, and I'm not ruling a lawyer. I would love to hear from someone who has been through the process.
 

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