I was working as a playground fitter at the time of my accident in 2007. My job was to repair kids' playground equipment in various parks across Orlando. I was working on a swing when the ladder I was on slid sideways. I fell to the ground and broke my right ankle in four places.
I was off work for four months and now I'm left with a 15% disability. I was able to get back to work afterwards though, provided I complied with some restrictions.
In the beginning I didn't give any thoughts to asking for compensation. The hospital bills were covered by my health insurance, and I didn't care about the hassles this whole accident has caused -- I thought that's what came with the territory. However, people from the union who were visiting me at the hospital said I have a strong case, as it was clearly a work-related accident and I was entitled to quite a good amount of money. I sought legal advice with them once I got out of hospital, and they put me in touch with Lou Pendas, the owner of Pendas Law Firm Orlando, a lawyer who deals with work injuries and handles cases for members of the union. If nothing else, seeking legal assistance with them was a way to ensure that similar incidents wouldn't happen to my colleagues.
Our case didn't make it to court -- we settled everything in mediation. At first, the employer denied liability and claimed it was my fault. However, when pointed out that I hadn't received any training related to working at heights, they admitted their share of guilt. We cut a deal for a claim of $38,000 and paid ladder and scaffolding courses.
If you are in Orlando and need legal assistance regarding such work incidents, I warmly recommend Lou. He's nice and easy to work with and a truly great professional. I'm so glad that he handled my case -- we settled everything without lengthy trials and hearings in court.
This blog will revolve around some regulations and good practices regarding working at heights, as well as some of my experiences from working with Pendas Law. I will maintain it on my spare time, so don't expect very frequent updates. I sure hope to post something every few days.
I was off work for four months and now I'm left with a 15% disability. I was able to get back to work afterwards though, provided I complied with some restrictions.
In the beginning I didn't give any thoughts to asking for compensation. The hospital bills were covered by my health insurance, and I didn't care about the hassles this whole accident has caused -- I thought that's what came with the territory. However, people from the union who were visiting me at the hospital said I have a strong case, as it was clearly a work-related accident and I was entitled to quite a good amount of money. I sought legal advice with them once I got out of hospital, and they put me in touch with Lou Pendas, the owner of Pendas Law Firm Orlando, a lawyer who deals with work injuries and handles cases for members of the union. If nothing else, seeking legal assistance with them was a way to ensure that similar incidents wouldn't happen to my colleagues.
Our case didn't make it to court -- we settled everything in mediation. At first, the employer denied liability and claimed it was my fault. However, when pointed out that I hadn't received any training related to working at heights, they admitted their share of guilt. We cut a deal for a claim of $38,000 and paid ladder and scaffolding courses.
If you are in Orlando and need legal assistance regarding such work incidents, I warmly recommend Lou. He's nice and easy to work with and a truly great professional. I'm so glad that he handled my case -- we settled everything without lengthy trials and hearings in court.
This blog will revolve around some regulations and good practices regarding working at heights, as well as some of my experiences from working with Pendas Law. I will maintain it on my spare time, so don't expect very frequent updates. I sure hope to post something every few days.
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