Our client, an automotive technician, suffered a career-ending shoulder injury. After participating in the employer’s sponsored vocational rehabilitation program, he secured a lower-paying job. We sought payment of lifetime wage differential benefits. To lower its exposure, the insurance carrier attempted to restart the vocational plan and cut off his benefits, alleging non-cooperation with the new job search.
We took the case to the Appellate Court, which held he was not obligated to undergo a second round of vocational rehabilitation and upheld the lower court’s calculation of the wage differential benefits. We secured $80,000 in back due benefits, and the claim settled for an additional $280,000.
