Todd Wachtel, a Levinson Axelrod, P.A. Partner from our Raritan office, successfully settled a workers’ compensation case for a client who was injured in the course of his employment.
As court documents note, Todd’s client injured his neck when he was struck by a trailer while unloading cargo. He underwent a cervical fusion surgery of the C5-6, C6-7 vertebrae.
Ultimately, Todd was able to secure a $241,920 settlement from the employer’s insurance company to pay for his client’s fusion surgery and future treatment, as well as a 100% disability rating for his client, which entitles him to lifetime benefits. As part of the settlement negotiated by Todd, his client will also receive benefits from the State of New Jersey Second Injury (SIF), which assumes the obligation of paying permanent disability benefits to disabled workers following an initial period of payments made by their employers.
Workers’ compensation cases in which injured workers seek a recovery from the Second Injury Fund are among the most challenging matters we handle, as they require us to prove that the injured worker’s last compensable accident plus any preexisting disability rendered them 100% disabled. However, because the Second Injury Fund provides benefits to a worker for the rest of their life, they are incredibly important and the most rewarding type of outcome we can secure for our clients.
Todd D. Wachtel is a Levinson Axelrod, P.A. Partner and a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Workers’ Compensation Attorney. As a former Deputy Attorney General who represented the State of New Jersey in Workers’ Compensation proceedings, Todd has leveraged his unique insight to help workers and families across New Jersey recover millions in benefits and compensation following work-related injuries. Earlier this year, Todd was elected to the State Bar’s Executive Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section, where he assists in reviewing issues and proposed laws critical to the practice of Workers’ Compensation in New Jersey.