Firefighter is disabled for life. Awarded 13 million dollars

[mizzou]

my father in law busted his hip because a contractor used finishing nails to secure a 15 foot stairwell.

He still can't even tie his shoes, or dance for that matter, and I think maybe he got like 1mil

alot of it was for hospital bills and to pay for the future hip replacement

 

[MotionMan]

Can someone please explain to me why someone whose lifetime earning potential is $2,000,000 would be awarded $13,000,000 for losing the ability to perform their job? (Salary.com indicates $50k/yr is at the upper range for a fire fighter, multiplied by 40 years.)

Past and future medicals and pain and suffering.

MotionMan

 

[MrMatt]

Still and all, I was bucking the odds and I knew it. So, when my wife Jessie, who had been begging me for years to quit, died, I fucking well quit that business cold. I got calls from lawyers for years and years afterwards, asking me to take cases. I never did.

Great response...I didn't know your wife died, I'm so sorry

 

[deadlyapp]

My buddy up the street was just thrown in jail because he claimed workers comp about 8 years back about a permanent back injury that didn't allow him to do anything.

8 years later he's renovated his house twice, goes skydiving, mountain climbing, and rock crawling.

He finally got what was coming to him.

 

[Cogman]

I hate people that make false insurance claims. I had a worthless uncle that my father employed because he was family. The guy slipped on some ice and hurt his foot. He was going to sue my dad because of it! But then found out he could get more money if he went on permanent disability.

 

[Hacp]

Past and future medicals and pain and suffering.

MotionMan

I suffer every day. Where's my millions?

 

[FirNaTine]

Can someone please explain to me why someone whose lifetime earning potential is $2,000,000 would be awarded $13,000,000 for losing the ability to perform their job? (Salary.com indicates $50k/yr is at the upper range for a fire fighter, multiplied by 40 years.)

I didn't open the video where I am, but don't believe that salary range either. 50k/yr is well below maximum base pay where I work if someone stays an entry level firefighter for their career. If they promote to first line supervisor (Lieutenant) the maximum BASE pay is about twice that without any overtime. Additional promotions through management levels pay even better, topping out at a little over 150k for the Chief of the Department.

There are plenty of better paying departments out there as well in any of the major metropolitan areas.

Secondly, as others have alluded to future economic loss (income) is only one factor in determining awards. Pain, suffering, medical bills, interference with life activities, as well as punitive damages can play a factor.

Edited to Add:

I despise fraud in Work related injuries, as it makes it difficult for those truly injured in the line of duty to collect just compensation for their injuries.

 

[MotionMan]

Secondly, as others have alluded to future economic loss (income) is only one factor in determining awards. Pain, suffering, medical bills, interference with life activities, as well as punitive damages can play a factor.

As far as I know, you cannot recover punitive damages against a governmental entity. There my be exceptions (none that I know of, though) and, thus, YMMV.

MotionMan

 

[FirNaTine]

As far as I know, you cannot recover punitive damages against a governmental entity. There my be exceptions (none that I know of, though) and, thus, YMMV.

MotionMan

I did not know for sure if he was government or not. There are private and industrial fire departments out there as well that employ career firefighters.

Some of the private's contract with local governments to provide a department for the jurisdiction. So they may appear to be a government employee, when in fact they are hired through a third party contract agency.

In fact some of the industrial ones pay very well, but job security is not as good.

Like I said, I didn't open the video from where I am to look at the specifics of the situation.

 

[BoomerD]

Can someone please explain to me why someone whose lifetime earning potential is $2,000,000 would be awarded $13,000,000 for losing the ability to perform their job? (Salary.com indicates $50k/yr is at the upper range for a fire fighter, multiplied by 40 years.)

Your numbers are off by a considerable amount, although it's not by $11,000,000...

http://www.seattle.gov/fire/employment/ffjob_benefits.htm

The 2008 starting salary for a Seattle Firefighter is $59,196 per year, with increases thereafter, per the provisions of the Local 27 collective bargaining agreement pay schedules.

We don't know how many years he has in the department nor what his rank was, but it's not inconceivable that he made more than $75,000 per year...maybe $100,000.

 

[Hacp]

Your numbers are off by a considerable amount, although it's not by $11,000,000...

http://www.seattle.gov/fire/employment/ffjob_benefits.htm

The 2008 starting salary for a Seattle Firefighter is $59,196 per year, with increases thereafter, per the provisions of the Local 27 collective bargaining agreement pay schedules.

We don't know how many years he has in the department nor what his rank was, but it's not inconceivable that he made more than $75,000 per year...maybe $100,000.

100,000? For a firefighter? A position that doesn't need a college degree? This is what's wrong with unions. I bet he gets a big fat 200k pension when he retires too.

 

[FirNaTine]

I was working part time earlier and held off opening the video...

Notice in the video he appears to be almost 'under supervision' by another adult? If what his lawyer claims is true, he could easily have suffered a traumatic brain injury rendering him incapable of living independently.

Even when he goes to cut the fire wood, notice how there is someone there that appears to give him direction?

Honestly, just reading the body language of the very short clips reminds me of the interaction between a mentally handicapped person and their caregiver.

I don't know anymore than what was presented in the video and accompanying short article, but he very well may have a life altering brain injury.

You can severley damage the higher thought portions of you brain, but leave the motor functions relatively intact.

Fire Departments nationwide have known of the risks associated with the poles since at least when I started in 1997. There are numerous manual and automatic safety devices/design alternatives that may have been able to prevent this injury. They most likely were not implemented for one reason, COST.

As much as I dislike frivolous lawsuits, and exorbitant jury awards verdicts like this do serve a purpose. They make departments find money for safety.

Whether his injuries were as profound as what was presented to the jury is impossible to determine, but nothing in that video proves that he did not suffer a life altering brain injury.

How many of you would let your noggin get scrambled to the point of needing to be watched for the rest of your life for $13 million. Remember that you would need to support yourself for the rest of your life. Usually they also include all past and FUTURE medical care resulting from that injury in the settlement as well.

I can tell you from personal experience with a family member that being on a neuro floor was $3k/day with just monitoring. If you add meds/surgeries/invasive procedures a single stay can be several hundred thousand or more.

 

[Soundmanred]

Notice in the video he appears to be almost 'under supervision' by another adult?

Even when he goes to cut the fire wood, notice how there is someone there that appears to give him direction?

You must not be middle aged and married.

 

[nick1985]

100,000? For a firefighter? A position that doesn't need a college degree? This is what's wrong with unions. I bet he gets a big fat 200k pension when he retires too.

The amount firefighters/police make is retarded, most of the time.

 

[holden j caufield]

The amount firefighters/police make is retarded, most of the time.

it's well north of 100k a year in california. Plus firefighters don't hire more firemen per union rules, so they can work loads of OT. Also here in CA they get promoted or fudge on more OT in their last year or 3. I believe they bargained it so that firemen or cops get 90 percent; of their salary (based on the highest year or higher 3 years so just jack the system your last year).

My friend surfs with cops and firemen and they retire at 50 or so. Something like 20 years and you get your pension for the rest of your life, he said these guys were pulling in ~125k+. Lots of guys I know are trying to get into the FD in our beach city. No fires around there, mostly chill, workout, respond to accidents. I appreciate their service but 20 years then get 90+% of your pension for life is ridiculously draining the system. California is going to implode paying the people these rates, and their subsequent pensions.

Over here they had a story in the city of Bell. 40k residents where the city manager made 800k + another 750k in perks, police chief with 33 person staff made 650k. They resigned when the public discovered this but still get their calpers pension for life. Something near 700k a year for life.

 

[FallenHero]

100,000? For a firefighter? A position that doesn't need a college degree? This is what's wrong with unions. I bet he gets a big fat 200k pension when he retires too.

How much is it worth it to you to be exposed to almost every pathogen in the US as well as potentially run into burning buildings?

Just curious.

 

[dawp]

How much is it worth it to you to be exposed to almost every pathogen in the US as well as potentially run into burning buildings?

Just curious.

for hacp, that would be $1.95

He has a raging hard-on for anything that has anything to do with a union.