Question Number Four

A co-worker received substantially more money than that being offered to me for the same injury.  Why the huge discrepancy? 

A number of factors come into play. The amount of recovery is based in part on how much you earn per week (excluding overtime). Thus, if your co-worker is earning substantially more, his settlement amount would likely be higher. Another factor taken into consideration is the amount of time it took for recovery. Let us assume that both you and your co-worker suffered a work related injury that resulted in a herniated disk in the lumbar spine. It takes you five weeks of treatment to return to work. On the other hand, it takes your co-worker sixteen weeks of treatment to return to work.  Such a difference in the period of treatment more than likely reflects that your co-worker’s injuries were more severe than yours. Thus, your co-worker’s settlement value would likely be higher.