You simply never know how a regular day at work will turn out. Without any expectations for something to go differently, you wake up, get dressed, and head to your place of business.
Most days will happen without any surprises. Most people will go through their entire careers without anything unexpected occurring. But sometimes things happen that throw your life off course indefinitely.
Here’s how one woman’s life changed forever as a result of an unexpected incident at work, and one man’s careless use of a firearm.
A not-so-average day at the pizzeria
Being a restaurant manager at a pizza place meant really being there for all the employees. If there was a problem, you’d help, no matter the circumstances, and our client in this particular case took her job seriously.
On this day, she got called upon to assist with a delivery problem. The driver and the delivery customer had a disagreement about the order. Once the driver reported the issue, our client didn’t hesitate to hop in her car and drive the short distance to the home. She wanted to try and resolve the customer’s complaint in person, but the situation worsened once she arrived.
Unable to find a resolution, even after speaking with the customer, our client got back into her car to return to the restaurant.
That should have been the end of the issue, but it wasn’t.
Our client didn’t intend on becoming a statistic, but when the pizza delivery customer pulled out a .22 caliber rifle and fired it at our client’s car that’s exactly what happened. The bullet hit our client in the back of her head. She experienced immediate and severe brain damage, losing all functions except the ability to breathe on her own. She could no longer see, hear, speak, or feed herself.
The pizza delivery customer later said he didn’t expect to hit anything when he fired. He was just angry. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop a workplace injury from occurring, and it doesn’t give our client back her life.
Managing care
Our client’s new reality, based on the evaluation of her doctors, put her in a persistent vegetative state. She would always need hands-on, intensive care. This would be her life from now on.
The insurance company wanted to place her in a hospital to cover her care, but her family wanted something different. They believed they could provide better care for her at home so began the search for a personal injury lawyer to assist. A WIL personal injury attorney stepped in to help them win this fight.
A difficult case
Focused on being transparent and supportive, WIL honestly told the family that this was going to be a difficult case to win. Hospitals usually provide excellent care to patients, and convincing a judge to move care elsewhere wasn’t always easy.
Knowing the risks, once the family opted to move forward, the WIL team got to work. Through assembling a team of nursing experts and patient care experts, we were able to prove that the best thing for our client was to receive around-the-clock care at home from both family and in-house nurses.
The judge required the insurance company to modify our client’s home, making room for her medical equipment and adding space for her nursing team. Yes, it was more expensive than transferring our client to a care facility, but WIL showed that being at home was the best option for everyone.
Making the right choice happen
Although our client made frequent trips to the hospital, when she wasn’t at home with her family, her health would decline. Doing what was best for our client ended up being a more costly, less appealing option to the insurance company, but it was what’s right, and was worth fighting for.
Years have passed, and thanks to the loving care our client receives at home, she’s never had a single bedsore. She’s getting the best care possible with the help of an eight-figure settlement, in the best possible location, surrounded by her loving family who are caring for her the way she deserves.
Winning this case was about so much more than the settlement. It was about the people. At WIL, we partner with you because we genuinely want to see you get the justice you deserve. Evaluating each case individually, we take the stress of battling the insurance company off your shoulders, so you can focus on what’s necessary to heal both physically and emotionally. While based in Kennesaw, our attorneys are ready to work to help clients across Georgia, and their families, reclaim their lives. Contact WIL today for a free consultation.