A young nurse with two children

A young nurse, and mother of two children, injured her neck when caring for a patient. As the nurse was conducting her duties, the patient began to fall off a gurney. The nurse successfully attempted to prevent the fall, however the patient wrapped her arms around the nurse’s neck for fear of hitting the floor. The patient’s embrace caused an injury to the nurse’s neck.

Needing to work and provide for her 2 children, the nurse sought out the help of a doctor. The nurse (our client) described her injuries to the doctor and the surgeon then diagnosed her as suffering from a herniated disc. The workers’ compensation insurer only accepted a condition of “strain”, however.  They denied her necessary surgery, rehabilitation, and disability benefits. This was especially problematic because she needed to provide for her family while rehabilitating.

As a result of Guinn Law Team’s advocacy, our client was able to establish that her actual injury was a disc herniation and not just a “strain.”  Consequently, she received the necessary surgery, wage substitution (when she was out of work for the surgery), aftercare, and disability benefits.  She was able to provide for her family and ultimately return to her job, which she loved.