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For 30 years, Ed Rush stayed in shape through cycling and stretching—habits that were necessary for his demanding job as a delivery driver for a liquor distributor in Las Vegas. Ed loaded and unloaded 60-pound pallets daily, knowing that his body had to handle the physical strain.
One Friday evening, Ed was delivering 88 cases to his last stop when he felt something go wrong in his back while handling the last stack. The pain shot down his legs and into his feet, but he kept going.
“I didn’t drop the case, but I knew something wasn’t right,” Ed recalls. “I finished the job, but when I got back to the truck, I had to sit for a while. The pain wasn’t letting up.”
Ed reported the injury to his employer and hoped a few days of rest would resolve the issue. But his back still hadn’t improved by Tuesday, so he called his employer and requested to see a doctor.
His employer directed him to an urgent care facility, where Ed quickly realized he was in for a frustrating experience.
“That place was a joke,” Ed said. “I never saw the same doctor twice. They kept telling me it was just a muscle strain, and I had to go back to work with restrictions. But there weren’t any jobs available that fit those restrictions.”
The situation only worsened when Ed’s employer put him on inventory duty, which required standing all day on a concrete floor—something his injured back couldn’t handle. When he asked to use a chair, his supervisor denied the request, and the cycle of pain and ineffective treatment continued.
“They finally sent me to a back specialist,” Ed explained. “I asked if he could fix me, and he said yes. But before I could follow up, they sent me to another doctor!”
For over a year, Ed was shuffled between specialists, from acupuncturists to pain management doctors, with no real progress. His situation was further complicated when his insurance company stopped paying him. Frustrated and unsure of what to do, Ed reached out to a retired attorney friend for advice. That friend referred him to GGRM.
“When I talked to GGRM, they explained that they wouldn’t charge me unless they won my case,” Ed said. “Within an hour of GGRM making a call, the insurance company paid me what I was owed! I would never have made it without GGRM.”
GGRM also secured Ed’s 26% Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) rating and ensured his eligibility for vocational rehabilitation.
Understanding Permanent Partial Disability (PPD), Vocational Rehabilitation, and Buyouts
In Nevada, a Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) rating is given when someone has an impairment caused by an injury that partially limits their abilities but doesn’t completely prevent them from working. The percentage (like Ed’s 26%) represents the level of disability and helps determine the benefits the injured person will receive.
If you get hurt on the job and can’t return to your old position because of your injuries, vocational rehabilitation helps you learn new skills for a different job. For example, if someone like Ed can’t return to his job because of a back injury, vocational rehabilitation would help him train for a new type of work that wouldn’t put stress on his back.
Since Ed was close to retirement age, he chose not to go through the retraining program. Instead, GGRM negotiated a “buyout” for him. A buyout means that instead of receiving retraining, Ed received a lump sum of money to help him transition into the next phase of his life.
“It was two years out of my life, but life goes on,” Ed reflects. “I’m happy to be retired, and I have GGRM to thank for helping me move on with my life.”
Contact GGRM. We Can Help.
If you’ve been injured in an accident and have questions, consult with the experienced injury attorneys at GGRM. We have over 50 years of experience helping the injured get back to their lives. To set up your free consultation, contact us or call us at 702-384-1616 or 775-993-8898.