The claimant sustained injuries by accident in 2013. While working as a truck driver a tree fell on top of him and his vehicle, rendering him a partial quadriplegic. Claimant proceeded pro se for almost a decade.

In 2014 while representing himself pro se, the carrier negotiated a settlement with the claimant for the agreed upon lump sum settlement of $371,000. At that time, the commission rejected the settlement. Eventually the claimant required home health care 24 hours a day 7 days per week. While initially provided by the carrier at a later point it was denied, and a claim was filed to have his family members paid for providing the home health care. When that claim was denied, claimant hired Stephen Harper in 2022 around the time his 500 weeks of lost wages was exhausted.

Attorney Stephen Harper filed to have him declared a permanent total, and the carrier agreed to ongoing permanent total and lost wage benefits while the parties were awaiting mediation. Ultimately at mediation, the claim was settled for $2.8 million dollars. At the time of the settlement the carrier had paid claimant $292,000 in lost wages and paid $2,049,000 in ongoing medical benefits. Claimant’s plan after settlement was to leave Virginia and move to Maryland to purchase a house for him and his adult daughter and her family.

At the time of settlement, the claimant was living in a downstairs apartment, spending 95% of his time in a 10×15 room with two windows with care being provided by his family members. Claimant is ecstatic to be able to move out of that apartment which he has been in for the last 7 years. Out of the settlement an MSA was funded as an annuity to satisfy the $301,000 MSA required by Medicare.