Most people believe that a trial by jury is a fundamental right of all Americans and that when a jury submits its verdict, the case is over. Unfortunately, some defense lawyers do everything they can to deny compensation to a victim, even after a jury has rendered its verdict. This is exactly what happened when 53-year-old Michael Chavis’s $5.2 million verdict was taken away after the jury awarded it to him.
As the Daily Press reported, the victim was shopping in Best Buy when an employee accidentally hit a button on a forklift, causing the forklift to jump forward and run over the victim’s foot. The accident has caused him to suffer from an incurable complex regional pain syndrome. Chavis is unable to return to his $55,000-per-year job at the Siemens fuel injector plant, and every step he takes is painful.
Stories such as this are sad. What makes this one worse is that Chavis’ rightly awarded jury verdict was taken away. Just when he thought he was at the point of getting his life back on track, Best Buy’s lawyer asked the judge to throw out the jury;s award, and now the whole process is going to start again. This is why it is so important for victims to have quality representation on their side. Obtaining experienced plaintiff’s counsel that is prepared to combat these types of maneuvers is extremely important if you or a loved one decide to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim.
One of the forms of compensation that could be available to Chavis is lost wages. He will not be able to return to his job, thus he may be able to recover the money he would have made had he been able to continue working. This translates into $1.5 million in lost wages between the accident and his projected retirement age.
Lost wages are an important part of representing a client who suffers from a traumatic injury. At our firm, we work tirelessly to recover the maximum compensation for injured victims who may have missed time at work or may not be able to work again. We have helped many victims get the compensation they need to get their life back on track.
OEA