Injury Settlement from Liberty Mutual

[Dracula]

He's getting an MMI impairment rating payout you really don't need an attorney for that.

Just me, but I would never speak to LM without an attorney by my side.

 

[Catatonic]

Contact a lawyer.

 

[Re-Raise]

I just settled a claim for a cut tendon in my foot for 20% of my foot for 33.4 weeks of PPD. I have returned to work with no problems.

 

[35years]

I just settled a claim for a cut tendon in my foot for 20% of my foot for 33.4 weeks of PPD. I have returned to work with no problems.

33.4 weeks PPD with OT included in the calculation or based on a mythical 40 hr week?
Compensated for all miles?
Did you get partial payment for the possibility of surgery/treatment/PT in the future?
LM has lots of tricks.

Personally I would not accept a settlement and waive future medical compensation. When you get old you feel those injuries again.

 

[Re-Raise]

33.4 weeks PPD with OT included in the calculation or based on a mythical 40 hr week?
Compensated for all miles?
Did you get partial payment for the possibility of surgery/treatment/PT in the future?
LM has lots of tricks.

Personally I would not accept a settlement and waive future medical compensation. When you get old you feel those injuries again.

I already have 31 yrs in. Open medical or I would not have accepted it

 

[Johney]

Just me, but I would never speak to LM without an attorney by my side.

I agree if they are stonewalling,denying treatment and such then sure(I have),but I don't see that here. MMI rating's are determined by the DR. and I'm pretty sure are set by the State for each injury. I just don't see a Lawyer taking a case like this for what is a very small pay-out.

 

[Johney]

I just settled a claim for a cut tendon in my foot for 20% of my foot for 33.4 weeks of PPD. I have returned to work with no problems.

20% impairment rating? That will be some nice pocket change.

 

[Re-Raise]

20% impairment rating? That will be some nice pocket change.

We may be comparing apples to oranges here. In my state a foot is worth 167 weeks of permanent partial disability. I have a little loss in motion on my big toe from where they reattached the tendon. This loss in motion is where they came up with the 20% after some negotiating back and forth. I don't notice it at all.

 

[Johney]

We may be comparing apples to oranges here. In my state a foot is worth 167 weeks of permanent partial disability. I have a little loss in motion on my big toe from where they reattached the tendon. This loss in motion is where they came up with the 20% after some negotiating back and forth. I don't notice it at all.

I'm just thinking of a double digit rating I got from an injury and it paid pretty good. There is no negotiating of that done here,Dr. rates you a number and they pay it.

 

[35years]

I already have 31 yrs in. Open medical or I would not have accepted it

Sounds like a good deal then.

 

[coolslice]

Ok, just to clarify a couple of things first. I'm not a fool, or confused. Anyone with any sense at all can read through these responses and realize how little knowledge there actually is out there dealing with this issue. Even then, it's different in every state apparently.

Now, the extent of the information I have on this is two conversations with the LM claims specialist totaling about 90 seconds. I have no paperwork and no information from any reliable or knowledgable source as it relates to this case.
With respect to actual "terms" I've used, I'm just going by what LM has said to me- again, that's ONLY about 90 seconds worth of info to go on.

As far as I could tell, in this state the law says that the amount is based on a formula that coincides with your impairment rating. Without going back to double check, I believe 1-8% was calculated by taking your weekly wage X .065 X 425 weeks. Depending on what figure they use for weekly pay, that number roughly comes out to $117. Multiply that by 425 and you get $49,725. Using that method, you can clearly see why the $11/ week to a total of ~$4700 is not only way off base, but practically insulting- especially when they plan to pay in weekly installments.

They are supposed to be sending me the paperwork, and until then, it's just a guessing game as to what has actually transpired here. I think most of us know that NOTHING is free in this world, and they didn't just call me out of the blue to offer me a few thousand dollars because they're nice folks. They are going to want me to give them something in return, and I can tell you right now that at $11 a week, they aren't getting a damn thing from me. Call me stupid if you want, but with 20 or so years left, $4700 is an insult.

 

[burrheadd]

Ok, just to clarify a couple of things first. I'm not a fool, or confused. Anyone with any sense at all can read through these responses and realize how little knowledge there actually is out there dealing with this issue. Even then, it's different in every state apparently.

Now, the extent of the information I have on this is two conversations with the LM claims specialist totaling about 90 seconds. I have no paperwork and no information from any reliable or knowledgable source as it relates to this case.
With respect to actual "terms" I've used, I'm just going by what LM has said to me- again, that's ONLY about 90 seconds worth of info to go on.

As far as I could tell, in this state the law says that the amount is based on a formula that coincides with your impairment rating. Without going back to double check, I believe 1-8% was calculated by taking your weekly wage X .065 X 425 weeks. Depending on what figure they use for weekly pay, that number roughly comes out to $117. Multiply that by 425 and you get $49,725. Using that method, you can clearly see why the $11/ week to a total of ~$4700 is not only way off base, but practically insulting- especially when they plan to pay in weekly installments.

They are supposed to be sending me the paperwork, and until then, it's just a guessing game as to what has actually transpired here. I think most of us know that NOTHING is free in this world, and they didn't just call me out of the blue to offer me a few thousand dollars because they're nice folks. They are going to want me to give them something in return, and I can tell you right now that at $11 a week, they aren't getting a damn thing from me. Call me stupid if you want, but with 20 or so years left, $4700 is an insult.

Uhh-Ok

 

[olroadbeech]

Liberty Mutual is a scumbag company.

get a lawyer.

 

[Re-Raise]

Sounds like a good deal then.

Wife has been wanting a new BMW 540i. It won't cover it, but it makes it a lot easier!

 

[coolslice]

This was not something I contacted them about, they called me. I blew them off the first time, but they insisted this is a "benefit to me" in the possible form of a substantial amount of money. At this point, I see no need for a lawyer, because I'm not asking for anything from them. I suspect taking their offer means that I cannot sue them in the future if the injury , but again, I don't know and I won't know until i see the paperwork.

I'm not signing away anything for $11 a week.

 

[Re-Raise]

Coolslice.. I don't know what state you are in or how that 425 week thing works, but they just sent me a check for half a year's work tax free just to close my case

 

[35years]

This was not something I contacted them about, they called me. I blew them off the first time, but they insisted this is a "benefit to me" in the possible form of a substantial amount of money. At this point, I see no need for a lawyer, because I'm not asking for anything from them. I suspect taking their offer means that I cannot sue them in the future if the injury , but again, I don't know and I won't know until i see the paperwork.

I'm not signing away anything for $11 a week.

The check may not be a good deal if...
You give away right to paid future treatment/surgery/physical therapy.
You will be giving up future weekly benefits for missing work for flair-ups.
You have a lot of years yet to work.

Pay a lawyer a flat fee to look at the offer if you don't want to pay a % of the settlement to represent you (some will do it for free in order to let you know you could get far more with proper representation).

Remember who you are dealing with here. Many, many threads about Liberty Mutual. Even Monkey Butt (a former manager and partner) advises you to get a lawyer.

 

[ManInBrown]

Well, I was there from 10 to 1530, nonstop. Half of the tests they gave me had nothing to do with our job. I assembled and disassembled nut and bolts for about 20 minutes. I had to crawl on all fours across the room and back, and things that we just don't do. They monitor your heart rate and ask you what your pain is on a scale of 1 to 10 for everything.

Long story short, I left not knowing anything more than when I walked in. Apparently it's all based on the data that is entered into a program from the test. I assume Liberty Mutual gets the results before I do. I guess now I just sit around and wait for someone to call or email me? The whole thing is nuts. I asked everyone I knew involved with medicine, UPS, the union and so on. No one was able to tell me anything. I got the most information from here, but unfortunately it sounds like every state is different, and obviously not everyone here that has been through it had the same experience.

Here's the way it works. I don't know if you have a lawyer yet, but where I am the employer's lawyer will say you are disabled to the tune of 1%. Then you're lawyer will send you to his Dr. and they will say you are disabled to the tune of 40%. Then after about a year of haggling behind the scenes they will agree to 20% disability.

 

[coolslice]

Coolslice.. I don't know what state you are in or how that 425 week thing works, but they just sent me a check for half a year's work tax free just to close my case

It sounds as if your situation is right in line with what my expectations are. Using the calculations the state uses, I would basically receive exactly what you have.

I appreciate all the help here. I guess my plan is to first look over the paperwork, because I literally have no idea what the specifics are here, and I think that's by design. I have no plans to accept their offer at this point.

 

[Nothing by 1030 anymore]

It sounds as if your situation is right in line with what my expectations are. Using the calculations the state uses, I would basically receive exactly what you have.

I appreciate all the help here. I guess my plan is to first look over the paperwork, because I literally have no idea what the specifics are here, and I think that's by design. I have no plans to accept their offer at this point.

Have you looked at workers comp info for your state? Or impairment ratings from workers comp in ur state? Very easy to get info online or ur local workers comp office to educate urself on process.